By Don Hazen, AlterNet:



There is a buzz moving through the culture, as the public attitudes around cannabis use are rapidly shifting, that the legalization of marijuana in some states, particularly California, is a growing possibility.

Recent polling by Zogby in May demonstrated that a majority of Americans, say it "makes sense to tax and regulate" marijuana. The Zogby poll, commissioned by the conservative-oriented O'Leary Report, found 52 percent in favor of legalization, only 37 percent opposed. As Ryan Grim reports on the Huffington Post , a previous ABC News/Washington Post poll found 46 percent in support. In California, a Field Poll found 56 percent backing legalization and as a result California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called for an open debate on legalization, all which suggest that American society may be reaching a tipping point when it comes to legal pot.

An array of new circumstances -- Democrats in power, economic recession leaving states starving for revenue that could come from taxing cannabis sales, less funds for law enforcement and Mexican drug operatives moving into the US to grow huge amounts of untaxed pot, contributing to the horrible drug violence South of the Border -- support the growing public support for legalization of pot.

Anther element perhaps pushing changes to our pot laws is the gaggle of strange bed fellows who are outspoken on the issue. Former Secretary of State George Shultz and the late conservative economist Milton Friedman have been for legalization for years. But recently Fox News' latest conservative wild man Glenn Beck and CNN's much more reasonable Jack Cafferty have publicly questioned the billions spent each year fighting the endless war against drugs. They are joining the growing chorus that suggest it now makes more financial and social sense to tax and regulate marijuana.

At the epicenter of legal pot talk and strategic political action is Richard Lee, a highly successful pot entrepreneur, who over the past decade has turned the "uptown" entertainment area of downtown Oakland, California into what many call Oaksterdam, a play on Amsterdam, their sister city in Holland. A centerpiece of the Oakland transformation is Oaksterdam University which Lee founded to prepare people for jobs in the cannabis industry. As he told MSNBC, "my basic idea is to professionalize the industry, and have it taken seriously just like beer and distilling hard liquor." The University, along with half a dozen other "cannabis businesses," controlled by Lee bring thousands of visitors to Oakland daily.

California Pot Legalization Initiative

And it was Richard Lee who raised eyebrows among many last week, including some in the "drug reform establishment," when he announced an effort to qualify for the California statewide ballot in November of 2010, The Control, Regulate and Tax Cannabis Act of 2010, the first major statewide initiative designed to legalize marijuana for personal use.

Lee and TaxCannabis2010.org, the newly minted organization he started to push the initiative, calls for the legalization of small amounts of marijuana for personal possession by adults 21 and older, and allows cities and counties the option of regulating sales and cultivation. The legal amount would be 1 ounce for personal possession, with cultivation allowed in a space no larger than 5 feet by 5 feet.

Lee feels very strongly that the tide has turned among the public as the polls indicate. "This will be a landmark opportunity that will generate interest and funds nationwide," he said. If successful, the initiative will be viewed as a watershed "a first step in changing federal law."

Lee's group plans to send the initiative to California Attorney General Jerry Brown in July for the summary and title oversight required by law. Signature gathering will begin in August, with 650,000 signatures required by January to make the November 2010 ballot. An efficient political operation, with paid signature gatherers, as well as thousands of volunteers is expected.

Recently I spent a morning in Oakland with Lee touring the array of facilities that make up his Oaksterdam network, including his ownership of seven buildings in a few block radius. The fact that Lee is at the center of the legalization action is not a surprise, given his drive, passion and obvious business skills. In fact, it is tempting to say after spending time with the whip smart political advocate and businessman, that I have seen the pot future and it is Richard Lee and Oaksterdam.

Lee is not exactly a household word in political and drug reform circles. But based on his current media attention -- including Geraldo, MSNBC, and tons of print articles, he very soon will be the person most associated with pot legalization in America. Lee is no "Johnny come-lately," either. Over the past decade, he has taken major strides in building a cannabis business empire in the entertainment section of Oakland which includes new bars, restaurants, a rash of new highly designed condos, the popular Paramount Theatre, and the spectacular renovation of the famous Fox Theater, which lay dormant for many years. Lee joked that he heard that when the Allman Bothers Band played in Oakland recently, that the Fox enjoyed the pungent smell of pot smoke, a welcome sign for the area to be pot friendly. Much of the downtown growth effort comes from initiatives begun when Jerry Brown, now Attorney General and candidate for governor, was Mayor.

Lee also has a number of political successes under his belt. In fact in the next few weeks, Oakland voters will be voting on a July special election mail-in ballot that includes Measure F, which would make their city the first in the nation to establish a new tax rate for "cannabis businesses." If the measure is approved, Oakland medical marijuana businesses, which generate an estimated $20 million annually in sales - and are now charged at the general tax rate of $1.20 per $1,000 gross receipts - would see that rate raised to $18 per $1,000, a 15-fold increase.

According the Carla Marinucci, reporting for the San Francisco Chronicle, the measure was supported enthusiastically by Lee and overseers of other city medical marijuana dispensaries as one that could contribute more than $400,000 a year to city coffers while also giving the medical marijuana businesses an increasingly mainstream profile in a major city.

Another ballot success has been Measure Z, which passed by Oakland voters 64- 36 in 2004. Measure Z gave Lee and many local pot advocates some serious maneuvering room, attempting to effectively legalize marijuana use in the city. More than 30,000 Oakland residents signed petitions to put Z on the ballot which asked Oakland Police to put all other criminal activity before the prosecution of pot users and requested city officials to advocate legalization of adult marijuana use statewide.

Since then Lee has been very busy. Prior to sitting for an interview Lee took me on a tour of his terrain. I almost had to break into a trot to keep up with Lee's speeding wheelchair covering a lot of ground quickly. As we tooled down 15th street, he pointed out the three buildings he already owns on the street and his fantasy of turning the block into a traffic-less mall, with coffee shops ( cafes where pot buying and smoking is legal) a la Amsterdam. "This is our Project Street. It is a couple of blocks long with not much traffic so the idea is to close it down during the day. In Amsterdam, streets are narrow with wider sidewalks, the opposite of things here."

Besides Oaksterdam U, which appears to be thriving, Leestarted the Bulldog Cafe (named after a famous collection of Amsterdam coffeehouses), and owns a pot growing and equipment store where there are a range of high tech machines for making hash, and powerful microscopes for a super enhanced view of the beauty of the pot plant -- in this case "white widow" which the crystals in the pot plant give off a jewel like glow. Near by is a cannabis novelty store with hundreds of cool and corny pot tschockes, T-shirts and the like, soon to be a cannabis museum (like the one in Amsterdam, of course), Lee also has a glass blowing studio and an advertising agency-- all the better to promote his varied operations (e.g. Lee advertises for Oaksterdam U. at concerts at the Shoreline Amphitheatre.) And finally, la piece de resistance, a pot growing warehouse, with many dozens of beautiful and pungent green plants thriving under the warm glow of grow lights. Lee proudly points out his specialties including "white rhino" and "casey jones" -- which are sold at the Blue Sky Cafe, his medical pot dispensary, a block away.

While visiting the Blue Sky, I hear testimony from a woman who owns a shop next store, who is eager to share how her business has grown with the new found traffic to the dispensary. All of this is designed to show that cannabis business can be a popular and responsible business model that can help transform downtown Oakland, which while improving, can certainly use more of a boost. I sat down with Lee to discuss both the big picture of pot and drug politics, as well as his experience in Oakland, creating a visionary model for creative cannabis thinking:

Don Hazen: Gil Kerlikowske, Obama’s new drug czar, said the concept of the war against drugs -- that we are at war with our own people -- must end. Were you surprised by that?

Richard Lee: No, but I think it’s easy to say it; it’s another thing to actually do it. So hopefully it’s a first step, a change of attitude from more of a ‘police law enforcement to help’ approach, which would be a good thing.

It’s like what Ethan Nadleman ( head of the Drug Policy Alliance) says; significant drug reform is like turning around a super tanker ... .but the point is that it is starting to turn. You don’t expect it to turn around on a dime; there’s lots to it. From my perspective it’s a war between drugs, and it is drugism -- which is, people thinking that their drug is better than other peoples. It is like racism -- people thinking their race is better than other people’s race. Here people discriminate based on their substance of choice. The alcoholic drinkers think they’re better than cannabis consumers.

Just like racism didn’t end with the 1964 Civil Rights Act, drugism won’t end with cannabis legalization. We’ve built up a whole generation of hate and prejudice. You have cops who still say “we don’t believe in medical marijuana, we don’t care how many people vote for it, how you change the laws; we’re going to do what we believe in,” and changing that is going to take quite a long time.

DH: So what is pushing the change? Is it that the states need revenue, there are going to be fewer cops, less people in prison, people want to put a crimp in their Mexican Cartels which benefit from pot being illegal in the States?

RL: Mexico just decriminalized pot -- did you hear about that?

DH: No, really.

RL: Yep. The new President signed it, and Vicente Fox (Quesada), the ex president, just went on the media saying it’s time to look at and debate legalizing. He’s the one that put the original bill to legalize small amounts two years ago; and you remember the fire storm that happened with Bush. They all jumped down their throats and he said, "OH! THAT’S CRAZINESS! WHO WOULD EVER CALL FOR THIS?!?!" This time, the new bill just went right through; no muss, no fuss -- nobody said a word and nobody’s debating it.

DH: How do the Mexican Cartels work in the United States? Do they grow pot here?

RL: I think cartel is a media word to make it sound scarier -- Cartel is supposed to be a monopolistic organization that controls the total market of something; like OPEC, to control the price of oil by cutting production, getting all its’ members to reduce the flow of oil. There’s nothing like that with this business. There are too many producers, too many different companies, so there is no cartel, first of all. Now -- there may be business people or cannabis producers (whatever you call them) who are Mexican decent here growing -- that’s what we’ve seen in the past couple years, is the big plantation growers instead of hippies with a couple hundred plants; you’ve got guys with thousands … tens of thousands.

DH: But is that mostly on their own land?

RL: No ... no -- that’s part of the point. Possibly one of the reasons they’re doing it here is that after 9/11, security borders have gotten a little bit tougher, and so if they grow it here, they don’t have to worry about smuggling it across. It’s already here.

DH: One question I don’t see discussed very much, is the difference between legalization and decriminalization.

RL: “Decrim” doesn’t really do anything. We’ve had decrim in what, a dozen states? ... including California since the 1970’s, which makes like a hundred dollar fine for under an ounce and it’s not an arrestable offense, like a parking ticket or a speeding ticket -- that’s what decrim is. It does something for the people that aren’t getting arrested. It’s a good thing for them. But it doesn’t do anything to deal with the black-market crime because it doesn’t address sales, cultivation ... anything. As a matter of fact, alcohol prohibition was “decrim”. Did you know that? Alcohol was only illegal to be made or transported or sold -- you could possess all you wanted on a personal level ... so your can see all of the crime and violence -- Tommy Gun-Al Capone, that came with that “decrim”. That’s why anyone who is serious about drug reform really hates decrim, because you can see how it could be used against reformers -- when they say, “Well, we decrimmed and then there was still all of this violence -- see? “ It doesn’t do any good.

DH: Do you have worries that with legalization that the corporations are going to come in and dominate the market with massive amounts of marketing dollars?

RL: It’ll be just like the wine industry. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

alternet

Pot légal en Californie en 2010 ? « Oaksterdam » fournit le modèle
Automatically translated into French thanks to WorldLingo
Par Don Hazen, AlterNet:



Il y a un bourdonnement se déplaçant par la culture, comme les attitudes publiques autour de l'utilisation de cannabis décalent rapidement, qui la légalisation de la marijuana dans quelques états, en particulier la Californie, est une possibilité croissante.

Le vote récent par Zogby en mai a démontré qu'une majorité d'Américains, disent qu'il « se comprend d'imposer et régler » la marijuana. Le scrutin de Zogby, commissionné par le rapport conservateur-orienté d'O'Leary, a trouvé 52 pour cent en faveur de la légalisation, seulement 37 pour cent se sont opposés. As Rapports sinistres de Ryan sur le poteau de Huffington , des nouvelles précédentes d'ABCPoteau de Washington le scrutin a trouvé 46 pour cent dans l'appui. En Californie, un scrutin de champ a trouvé 56 pour cent de légalisation de support et en conséquence gouvernement de la Californie Arnold Schwarzenegger a réclamé une discussion ouverte sur la légalisation, toute ce qui suggère que la société américaine puisse atteindre un point inclinant quand elle vient au pot légal.

Un choix de nouvelles circonstances -- Démocrates dans la puissance, récession économique laissant des états mourant de faim pour le revenu qui pourrait venir d'imposer des ventes de cannabis, moins de fonds pour l'application de loi et des employés mexicains de drogue entrant dans les USA pour accroître des quantités énormes de pot non taxé, contribuant aux sud horribles de violence de drogue de la frontière -- soutenez le soutien public croissant de la légalisation du pot.

L'élément d'anthère peut-être poussant des changements à nos lois de pot est le troupeau des camarades étranges de lit qui sont francs sur la question. L'ancien secrétaire d'état George Shultz et le défunt économiste conservateur Milton Friedman ont été pour la légalisation pendant des années. Mais récemment bac de teinture sauvage conservateur et les CNN Jack beaucoup plus raisonnable Cafferty de Glenn de l'homme des nouvelles de renard le plus défunt ont publiquement remis en cause les milliards dépensés tous les ans luttant la guerre sans fin contre des drogues. Ils joignent le choeur grandissant qui suggèrent qu'il rende maintenant un sens plus financier et plus social d'imposer et régler la marijuana.

À l'épicentre de l'entretien légal de pot et stratégique l'action politique est Richard Lee, un entrepreneur fortement réussi de pot, qui pendant la décennie passée a tourné la région de divertissement de « uptown » d'Oakland du centre, la Californie dans ce que beaucoup appellent Oaksterdam, un jeu sur Amsterdam, leur ville-soeur en Hollande. Une pièce maîtresse de la transformation d'Oakland est l'université d'Oaksterdam qui Lee fondé pour préparer des personnes pour les travaux dans l'industrie de cannabis. Car il a dit MSNBC, « mon idée fondamentale est professionalize l'industrie, et l'ont sérieusement juste pris comme la bière et la boisson alcoolisée dure de distillation. » L'université, avec une demi-douzaine d'autres « entreprises de cannabis, » commandé par Lee apportent des milliers de visiteurs à Oakland quotidien.

Initiative de légalisation de pot de la Californie

Et c'était Richard Lee qui a soulevé des sourcils parmi des beaucoup de la semaine dernière, y compris certains dans « l'établissement de réforme de drogue, » quand il a annoncé un effort de qualifier pour le vote par état de la Californie en novembre de 2010, la commande, les règle et Loi de cannabis d'impôts de 2010, la première initiative par état principale conçue pour légaliser la marijuana pour l'usage personnel.

Lee et TaxCannabis2010.org, l'organisation nouvellement monnayée qu'il a commencé à pousser l'initiative, appels pour la légalisation d'un peu de marijuana pour la possession personnelle par les adultes 21 et plus vieux, et permet des villes et des comtés l'option des ventes et de la culture de régulation. La quantité légale serait de 1 once pour la possession personnelle, avec la culture permise dans un espace pas plus en grande partie que 5 pieds par 5 pieds.

Lee se sent très fortement que la marée a tourné parmi le public pendant que les scrutins indiquent. « Ce sera une occasion de borne limite qui produira de l'intérêt et le place dans tout le pays, » il a dit. Si réussie, l'initiative sera regardée comme ligne de partage « une première étape en changeant la loi fédérale.  »

Plans du groupe de Lee pour envoyer l'initiative au brun d'Attorney General Jerry de la Californie en juillet pour l'inadvertance de résumé et de titre requise par loi. Le rassemblement de signature commencera en août, par 650.000 signatures exigées en janvier pour faire le vote du novembre 2010. Une opération politique efficace, avec les ramasseurs payés de signature, comme des milliers de volontaires est prévue.

Récemment j'ai passé un matin à Oakland avec Lee voyageant le choix d'équipements qui composent son réseau d'Oaksterdam, y compris sa propriété de sept bâtiments dans les quelques rayon de bloc. Le fait que Lee est au centre de l'action de légalisation n'est pas une surprise, donnée sien la commande, passion et qualifications évidentes d'affaires. En fait, il tente d'indiquer après que passant le temps avec l'avocat et l'homme d'affaires politiques futés de fouet, que j'ai vu que le futur et ce de pot est Richard Lee et Oaksterdam.

Lee n'est pas exactement un mot d'usage courant en cercles politiques et de drogue de réforme. Mais basé sur son attention courante de médias -- y compris Geraldo, MSNBC, et tonnes d'articles d'impression, il très bientôt sera la personne la plus associée à la légalisation de pot en Amérique. Lee n'est aucun « Johnny viennent-en retard, » l'un ou l'autre. Pendant la décennie passée, il a pris des pas principaux en construisant un empire d'affaires de cannabis dans la section de divertissement d'Oakland qui inclut de nouvelles barres, restaurants, une éruption des nouveaux logements fortement conçus, le théâtre populaire de Paramount, et la rénovation spectaculaire du théâtre célèbre de renard, qui étendent dormant pendant beaucoup d'années. Lee a plaisanté qu'il a entendu que quand les embêtements d'Allman se réunissent joué à Oakland récemment, cela le renard a apprécié l'odeur piquante de la fumée de pot, un signe bienvenu pour que le secteur soit pot amical. Une grande partie de l'effort du centre de croissance vient des initiatives commencées quand le brun de Jerry, maintenant Attorney General et candidat pour le gouverneur, était maire.

Lee a également un certain nombre de succès politiques sous sa ceinture. En fait en semaines à venir, les électeurs d'Oakland voteront sur une élection spéciale de juillet courrier-dans le vote qui inclut la mesure F, qui ferait à leur ville la première dans la nation pour établir un nouveau taux d'imposition fiscal pour des « entreprises de cannabis. » Si la mesure est approuvée, les entreprises médicales de marijuana d'Oakland, qui produisent des $20 millions environ annuellement dans les ventes - et est maintenant chargé au taux d'imposition fiscal général de $1.20 par $1.000 reçus bruts - verraient que le taux a augmenté à $18 par $1.000, une augmentation de 15 fois.

Accorder le Carla Marinucci, rapportant pour Chronique de San Francisco, la mesure a été soutenue avec enthousiasme par Lee et des contrôleurs d'autres officines médicales de marijuana de ville en tant qu'une qui pourraient contribuer plus de $400.000 par année aux coffres de ville tout en également donnant aux entreprises médicales de marijuana un profil de plus en plus traditionnel dans une ville importante.

Un autre succès de vote a été la mesure Z, qui a passé par les électeurs d'Oakland 64 - 36 de 2004. La mesure Z a donné Lee et beaucoup de le pot local préconise une certaine pièce de manoeuvre sérieuse, essayant de légaliser efficacement l'utilisation de marijuana dans la ville. Plus de 30.000 résidants d'Oakland ont signé des pétitions pour mettre Z sur le vote qui a demandé à la police d'Oakland de mettre toute autre activité criminelle avant la poursuite des utilisateurs de pot et a invité des fonctionnaires de ville à préconiser la légalisation de l'utilisation de marijuana d'adulte par état.

Depuis lors Lee a été très occupé. Avant de se reposer pour une entrevue Lee m'a pris en excursion de son terrain. Je presque ai dû pénétrer par effraction dans un trot pour suivre beaucoup expédiant de bâche du fauteuil roulant de Lee de la terre rapidement. Pendant que nous usinions en bas de la 15ème rue, il a précisé les trois bâtiments qu'il possède déjà sur la rue et son imagination de transformer le bloc en mail du trafic-moins, avec des café-restaurants (cafés où les achats de pot et le tabagisme sont légaux) une La Amsterdam. « C'est notre rue de projet. C'est un couple des blocs longs avec pas beaucoup de trafic ainsi l'idée est de le clôturer vers le bas pendant le jour. À Amsterdam, les rues sont étroites avec des trottoirs plus larges, l'opposé des choses ici. « 

Sans compter qu'Oaksterdam U, qui semble prospérer, Leestarted le café de bouledogue (baptisé du nom d'une collection célèbre de cafés d'Amsterdam), et possède le magasin de croissance et d'équipement d'un pot où il y a une gamme des machines de pointe pour faire des informations parasites, et les microscopes puissants pour une vue augmentée superbe de la beauté de l'usine de pot -- dans ce cas-ci « veuve blanche » que les cristaux à l'usine de pot dégagent un bijou comme la lueur. Près de près est un magasin de nouveauté de cannabis avec des centaines de tschockes frais et bébêtes de pot, T-shirts et semblables, être bientôt un musée de cannabis (comme celui à Amsterdam, naturellement), Lee a également un studio de soufflement de verre et une agence de publicité-- tout meilleur de favoriser ses opérations diverses (par exemple. Lee annonce pour Oaksterdam U. aux concerts chez Shoreline Amphitheatre.) et en conclusion, la piece de resistance, un entrepôt croissant de pot, avec beaucoup de douzaines de belles et piquantes plantes vertes prospérant sous la lueur chaude de accroissent des lumières. Lee précise fièrement ses spécialités comprenant « le rhinocéros blanc » et le « casey Jones » -- ce qui sont vendus au café de ciel bleu, son officine médicale de pot, un bloc loin.

Tout en visitant le ciel bleu, j'entends le témoignage d'une femme qui possède un prochain magasin de magasin, qui est désireux de partager comment ses affaires se sont développées avec le nouveau trafic trouvé à l'officine. Toute la ceci est conçue pour prouver que les affaires de cannabis peuvent être des populaires et le modèle responsable d'affaires qui peut aider pour transformer Oakland du centre, qui tout en s'améliorant, peut certainement employer plus d'une poussée. Je me suis assis avec Lee pour discuter la grande image de la politique de pot et de drogue, aussi bien que son expérience à Oakland, créant un modèle visionnaire pour la pensée créatrice de cannabis :

Don Hazen : Gil Kerlikowske, nouveau tsar de la drogue d'Obama, a dit le concept de la guerre contre des drogues -- que nous sommes à la guerre avec nos propres personnes -- doit finir. Avez-vous été étonné par cela ?

Richard Lee : Le non, mais moi pensent qu'il est facile de le dire ; c'est une autre chose à réellement la font. Tellement si tout va bien c'est une première étape, un changement d'attitude de plus d'une application de loi de police de `à aider' à s'approcher, qui serait une bonne chose.

Il est comme quel Ethan Nadleman (tête de l'alliance de politique de drogue) dit ; la réforme significative de drogue est comme la rotation autour d'un camion-citerne superbe… .but le point est qu'il commence à tourner. Vous ne vous attendez pas à ce qu'il tourne autour sur un dixième de dollar ; il y a des sorts à lui. De ma perspective c'est une guerre entre les drogues, et c'est drugism -- ce qui est, les gens pensant que leur drogue est meilleure que d'autres peuples. Il est comme le racisme -- les gens pensant leur course sont meilleurs que la course d'autres. Ici les gens distinguent basé sur leur substance de choix. Les buveurs alcooliques pensent qu'ils sont meilleurs que des consommateurs de cannabis.

Juste comme le racisme n'a pas fini avec les 1964 droits civiques agissent, drugism ne finira pas avec la légalisation de cannabis. Nous avons accumulé une génération entière de haine et de préjudice. Vous avez des flics qui disent toujours que « nous ne croyons pas en marijuana médicale, nous ne nous inquiétons pas combien de personnes votent pour elle, comment vous changez les lois ; nous allons faire ce que nous croyons dedans, » et changer cela va prendre tout à fait un à long terme.

CAD : Ainsi que pousse le changement ? Est-ce qu'est-il il que les états ont besoin de revenu, là vont être peu de cannettes de fil, moins de personnes en prison, les gens veulent mettre un cuir embouti dans leurs cartels mexicains qui tirent bénéfice du pot étant illégal dans les états ?

RL : Le Mexique decriminalized juste le pot -- avez-vous entendu parler de celui ?

CAD : Non, vraiment.

RL : Ouais. Le nouveau président l'a signé, et le renard de Vicente (Quesada), président ex, est juste allé sur les médias disant qu'il est temps de regarder et de discuter la légalisation. Il est celui qui mettent la facture originale pour légaliser un peu il y a deux ans ; et vous vous rappelez que le feu donner l'assaut à cela s'est produit avec Bush. Ils tout sauté en bas de leurs gorges et lui ont dit, le « OH ! C'est FOLIE ! L'OMS RÉCLAMERAIT JAMAIS CECI ? ! ? ! « Cette fois, la nouvelle facture juste est allée bien à travers ; aucun désordre, aucune agitation -- personne n'a dit un mot et personne la discutant.

CAD : Comment les cartels mexicains fonctionnent-ils aux Etats-Unis ? Accroissent-ils le pot ici ?

RL : Je pense que le cartel est un mot de médias pour rendre lui le bruit plus effrayant -- Le cartel est censé être une organisation monopolistique qui commande tout le marché de quelque chose ; comme l'OPEP, pour commander le prix d'huile en coupant la production, obligeant tous ses' membres à réduire l'écoulement d'huile. Il n'y a rien comme cela avec ces affaires. Il y a trop de producteurs, trop de différentes compagnies, tellement là n'est aucun cartel, tout d'abord. Maintenant -- il peut y avoir des personnes d'affaires ou des producteurs de cannabis (celui que vous leur appelez) qui sont ici croissance décente mexicaine -- est ce ce que nous avons vu en dernières années de couples, est les grands cultivateurs de plantation au lieu des hippies avec un couple cent usines ; vous avez des types avec des dizaines de milliers… de milliers.

CAD : Est-ce que mais c'est la plupart du temps sur leur propre terre ?

RL : Non… non -- ce fait partie du point. Probablement une des raisons qu'ils la font voici celle après 9/11, les frontières de sécurité sont devenues un peu plus dures, et ainsi s'ils l'accroissent ici, elles ne doivent pas l'inquiéter de la contrebande à travers. Il est déjà ici.

CAD : Une question que je ne vois pas discuté beaucoup, suis la différence entre la légalisation et le decriminalization.

RL : « Decrim » ne fait vraiment rien. Nous avons eu le decrim dans ce qui, les états une douzaine ? ... y compris la Californie depuis les années 70, qui fait comme des l'amende cent dollars pour sous une once et ce n'est pas une offense arrestable, comme un P.-V. invariable ou un billet expédiant -- c'est ce qui est le decrim. Il fait quelque chose pour le peuple qui n'obtiennent pas arrêté. C'est une bonne chose pour eux. Mais il ne fait rien traiter le crime de noir-marché parce qu'il n'adresse pas des ventes, culture… quelque chose. En fait, la prohibition d'alcool était « decrim ». Avez-vous su cela ? L'alcool était seulement illégal pour être fait ou transporté ou vendu -- vous pourriez posséder tous que vous avez voulus à un niveau personnel… ainsi votre bidon voient tous les crime et violence -- Pistolet-Al Capone, celui de Tommy est venu avec ce « decrim ». C'est pourquoi n'importe qui qui est sérieux au sujet de la réforme de drogue vraiment déteste le decrim, parce que vous pouvez voir comment il pourrait être employé contre des réformateurs -- quand ils disent, « bien, nous decrimmed et il restait alors toute cette violence -- voyez ? « Cela ne le fait aucun bien.

CAD : Avez-vous inquiète-t-vous cela avec la légalisation que les sociétés aillent entrer et dominer le marché avec des montants massifs de dollars de vente ?

RL : Il sera juste comme l'industrie vinicole. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

alternet

¿Pote legal en California en 2010? “Oaksterdam” proporciona el modelo
Automatically translated into Spanish thanks to WorldLingo
Por ponga Hazen, AlterNet:



Hay un zumbido que se mueve a través de la cultura, como las actitudes públicas alrededor del uso del cáñamo están cambiando de puesto rápidamente, que la legalización de la marijuana en algunos estados, particularmente California, es una posibilidad cada vez mayor.

La interrogación reciente de Zogby en mayo demostró que una mayoría de americanos, dice que “tiene sentido de gravar y de regular” la marijuana. La encuesta de Zogby, comisionada por el informe conservador-orientado de O'Leary, encontró 52 por ciento a favor de la legalización, sólo 37 por ciento opusieron. Como Informes severos de Ryan sobre el poste de Huffington , noticias anteriores del ABCPoste de Washington la encuesta encontró 46 por ciento en ayuda. En California, una encuesta del campo encontró 56 por ciento de legalización del forro y consecuentemente gobierno de California Arnold Schwarzenegger llamó para un discusión abierto sobre la legalización, toda que sugieren que la sociedad americana pueda alcanzar un punto que inclina cuando viene al pote legal.

Un arsenal de nuevas circunstancias -- Demócratas en la energía, recesión económica que deja estados muriendo de hambre para el rédito que podría venir de gravar ventas del cáñamo, menos fondos para la aplicación de ley y a operarios mexicanos de la droga que se movían en los E.E.U.U. para crecer cantidades enormes de pote libre de impuestos, contribuyendo al sur horrible de la violencia de la droga de la frontera -- apoye la ayuda pública cada vez mayor para la legalización del pote.

El elemento de la antera quizás que empuja cambios a nuestros leyes del pote es la manada de los compañeros extraños de la cama que son abiertos en la edición. La secretaria del estado anterior George Shultz y el último economista conservador Milton Friedman han estado para la legalización por años. Pero recientemente la cuba de tintura salvaje conservadora más última y los CNN un Gato mucho más razonable Cafferty de Glenn del hombre de las noticias del zorro han preguntado público los mil millones pasados cada año luchando la guerra sin fin contra las drogas. Están ensamblando el estribillo cada vez mayor que sugieren que ahora haga un sentido más financiero y más social de gravar y de regular la marijuana.

En el epicentro de la charla legal del pote y estratégico la acción política es heces de Richard, empresario altamente acertado del pote, que la última década ha dado la vuelta al área de la hospitalidad del “uptown” de Oakland céntrica, California en lo que llaman muchos Oaksterdam, un juego en Amsterdam, su ciudad de hermana en Holanda. Una pieza central de la transformación de Oakland es la universidad de Oaksterdam que las heces fundadas para preparar a gente para los trabajos en la industria del cáñamo. Pues él dijo MSNBC, “mi idea básica es professionalize la industria, y la tiene seriamente justo tomada como la cerveza y el licor duro de destilación.” La universidad, junto con media docena otros “negocios del cáñamo,” controlado por Lee trae a millares de visitantes a Oakland diaria.

Iniciativa de la legalización del pote de California

Y era las heces de Richard que levantaron las cejas entre muchos la semana pasada, incluyendo alguno en “el establecimiento de la reforma de la droga,” cuando él anunció un esfuerzo de calificar para la balota estatal de California en noviembre de 2010, el control, las regulan y acto de 2010, la primera iniciativa estatal principal del cáñamo del impuesto diseñada para legalizar la marijuana para el uso personal.

Heces y TaxCannabis2010.org, minted nuevamente la organización que él comenzó a empujar la iniciativa, llamadas para la legalización de cantidades pequeñas de marijuana para la posesión personal de los adultos 21 y más viejo, y permite ciudades y condados la opción de ventas y de la cultivación de regulación. La cantidad legal sería 1 onza para la posesión personal, con la cultivación permitida en un espacio no más en gran parte que 5 pies por 5 pies.

Las heces se sienten muy fuertemente que la marea ha dado vuelta entre el público mientras que las encuestas indican. “Ésta será una oportunidad de la señal que generará interés y lo financia por toda la nación,” él dijo. Si es acertada, la iniciativa será vista como línea divisoria de las aguas “un primer paso en cambiar ley federal. ”

Planes del grupo de las heces para enviar la iniciativa al Procurador General de la República marrón Jerry de California en julio para el descuido del resumen y del título requerido por la ley. La reunión de la firma comenzará en agosto, con 650.000 firmas requeridas por enero para hacer la balota del noviembre de 2010. Una operación política eficiente, con los gatherers pagados de la firma, tan bien como millares de voluntarios espera.

Pasé recientemente una mañana en Oakland con heces que viajaba el arsenal de las instalaciones que componen su red de Oaksterdam, incluyendo su propiedad de siete edificios en algunos radio del bloque. El hecho de que las heces están en el centro de la acción de la legalización no es una sorpresa, dada el suyo la impulsión, pasión y las habilidades obvias del negocio. De hecho, está tentando a decir después de que pase tiempo con el abogado y el hombre de negocios políticos elegantes del azote, que he visto que el futuro y el pote es heces y Oaksterdam de Richard.

Las heces no son exactamente una palabra de casa en círculos políticos y de la droga de la reforma. Pero basado en su atención actual de los medios -- incluyendo Geraldo, MSNBC, y toneladas de artículos de la impresión, él muy pronto será la persona más asociada con la legalización del pote en América. Las heces no son ningún “Johnny vienen-atrasado,” cualquiera. La última década, él ha tomado pasos grandes importantes en la construcción de un imperio del negocio del cáñamo en la sección de la hospitalidad de Oakland que incluye barras nuevas, restaurantes, una erupción de los condos altamente diseñados nuevos, el teatro popular de Paramount, y la renovación espectacular del teatro famoso del zorro, que ponen inactivo por muchos años. Las heces bromearon que él oyó que cuando las incomodidades de Allman congriegan jugado en Oakland recientemente, ésa el zorro gozó del olor acre del humo del pote, una muestra agradable para que el área sea pote amistoso. Mucho del esfuerzo céntrico del crecimiento viene de las iniciativas comenzadas cuando el marrón Jerry, ahora Procurador General de la República y candidato a gobernador, era alcalde.

Las heces también tienen un número de éxitos políticos debajo de su correa. De hecho en las semanas próximas, los votantes de Oakland votarán sobre una elección especial de julio correo-en la balota que incluye la medida F, que haría su ciudad la primera en la nación para establecer una nueva imposición fiscal para los “negocios del cáñamo.” Si la medida es aprobada, los negocios médicos de la marijuana de Oakland, que generan $20 millones estimado anualmente en ventas - y ahora se carga en la imposición fiscal general de $1.20 por $1.000 recibos gruesos - considerarían que la tarifa levantó a $18 por $1.000, un aumento de 15 dobleces.

Acordar al Carla Marinucci, divulgando para Chronicle de San Francisco, la medida fue apoyada entusiástico por Lee y supervisores de otros dispensarios médicos de la marijuana de la ciudad como uno que podría contribuir más de $400.000 por año a las cajas de la ciudad mientras que también daba a los negocios médicos de la marijuana un perfil cada vez más de corriente en una ciudad importante.

Otro éxito de la balota ha sido la medida Z, que pasó por los votantes 64 - 36 de Oakland de 2004. La medida Z dio heces y mucho el pote local aboga un cierto sitio que maniobra serio, procurando legalizar con eficacia uso de la marijuana en la ciudad. Más de 30.000 residentes de Oakland firmaron peticiones para poner Z en la balota que pidió que el policía de Oakland pusiera el resto de la actividad criminal antes del procesamiento de los usuarios del pote y solicitó a funcionarios de la ciudad abogar la legalización del uso de la marijuana del adulto a lo largo y ancho del estado.

Las heces han estado desde entonces muy ocupadas. Antes de sentarse para una entrevista las heces me tomaron en un viaje de su terreno. Casi tuve que romperme en un trote para continuar con los muchos de la cubierta del sillón de ruedas de las heces que apresuraban de tierra rápidamente. Mientras que fileteamos abajo de la décimo quinta calle, él precisó los tres edificios que él posee ya en la calle y su fantasía de dar vuelta al bloque en una alameda del tráfico-menos, con las tiendas de café (cafés donde está legales la compra del pote y el fumar) un la Amsterdam. “Ésta es nuestra calle del proyecto. Es un par de los bloques largos con no mucho tráfico así que la idea es cerrarlo abajo durante el día. En Amsterdam, las calles son estrechas con aceras más anchas, el contrario de cosas aquí. “

Además de Oaksterdam U, que aparece prosperar, Leestarted el café del Bulldog (nombrado después de una colección famosa de los cafés de Amsterdam), y posee el almacén del crecimiento y del equipo de un pote donde hay una gama de las máquinas de alta tecnología para hacer el picadillo, y los microscopios de gran alcance para una vista realzada estupenda de la belleza de la planta del pote -- en este caso “viuda blanca” que los cristales en la planta del pote emiten una joya como resplandor. Cerca de cerca está un almacén de la novedad del cáñamo con centenares de los tschockes frescos y corny del pote, camisetas y similares, pronto ser un museo del cáñamo (como el que está en Amsterdam, por supuesto), las heces también tiene un estudio que sopla de cristal y una agencia de publicidad-- todo el mejor promover sus operaciones variadas (e.g. Las heces anuncian para Oaksterdam U. en los conciertos en el litoral Amphitheatre.) y finalmente, la piece de resistance, un almacén creciente del pote, con muchas docenas de plantas verdes hermosas y acres que prosperan bajo resplandor caliente de crecen luces. Las heces precisan orgulloso sus especialidades incluyendo el “rhino blanco” y el “casey Jones” -- cuáles se venden en el café del cielo azul, su dispensario médico del pote, un bloque lejos.

Mientras que visita el cielo azul, oigo testimonio de una mujer que posea un almacén siguiente de la tienda, que es impaciente compartir cómo su negocio ha crecido con el nuevo tráfico encontrado al dispensario. Todo el esto se diseña para demostrar que el negocio del cáñamo puede ser un popular y el modelo responsable del negocio que puede ayudar para transformar Oakland céntrica, que mientras que mejora, puede utilizar ciertamente más de un alza. Me senté abajo con heces para discutir el cuadro grande de la política del pote y de la droga, así como su experiencia en Oakland, creando un modelo visionario para el pensamiento creativo del cáñamo:

Ponga Hazen: Gil Kerlikowske, nuevo czar de la droga de Obama, dijo el concepto de la guerra contra las drogas -- que estamos en la guerra con nuestra propia gente -- debe terminar. ¿Usted fue sorprendido por ése?

Heces de Richard: No, pero yo piensa que es fácil decirlo; es otra cosa a realmente la hace. Tan esperanzadamente es un primer paso, un cambio de la actitud más de una aplicación de ley del policía del `a ayudar' a acercarse, que sería una buena cosa.

Es como qué Ethan Nadleman (jefe de la alianza de la política de la droga) dice; la reforma significativa de la droga es como dar vuelta alrededor de un petrolero estupendo… .but el punto es que está comenzando a dar vuelta. Usted no espera que dé vuelta alrededor en una moneda de diez centavos; hay porciones a él. De mi perspectiva es una guerra entre las drogas, y es drugism -- cuál es, gente que piensa que su droga es mejor que la otra gente. Es como racismo -- la gente que piensa su raza es mejor que la raza de la gente. Aquí la gente discrimina basado en su sustancia de la opción. Los bebedores alcohólicos piensan que son mejores que consumidores del cáñamo.

Justo como racismo no terminó con las 1964 derechas civiles actúan, drugism no terminará con la legalización del cáñamo. Hemos acumulado una generación entera del odio y del prejudicar. Usted tiene polis que todavía digan que “no creemos en marijuana médica, nosotros no cuidamos cuánta gente vota por ella, cómo usted cambia los leyes; vamos a hacer lo que creemos adentro,” y cambiar eso va a tomar absolutamente un de largo plazo.

ADO: ¿Qué está empujando tan el cambio? ¿Es que los estados necesitan el rédito, allí va a ser pocos polis, menos gente en la prisión, gente desea poner una encrespadura en sus cárteles mexicanos que beneficien del pote que es ilegal en los estados?

RL: México acaba de decriminalized el pote -- ¿usted oyó hablar ése?

ADO: No, realmente.

RL: Yep. El nuevo presidente lo firmó, y el zorro de Vicente (Quesada), el presidente ex, acaba de ir en los medios diciendo que es hora de mirar y de discutir legalizar. Él es el que pone la cuenta original para legalizar cantidades pequeñas hace dos años; y usted recuerda la tormenta del fuego que sucedió con Bush. ¡Todo el saltado abajo de sus gargantas y él dijeron, “OH! ¡ÉSE es CRAZINESS! ¡EL WHO LLAMARÍA SIEMPRE PARA ESTO?!?! “Este vez, la nueva cuenta acaba de ir a la derecha a través; ningún muss, ninguna queja -- nadie dijo una palabra y nadie que la discutían.

ADO: ¿Cómo los cárteles mexicanos trabajan en los Estados Unidos? ¿Crecen el pote aquí?

RL: Pienso que el cártel es una palabra de los medios para hacer le el sonido más asustadizo -- El cártel se supone para ser una organización monopolística que controla el mercado total algo; como la OPEP, controlar el precio del aceite cortando la producción, consiguiendo a todos sus' miembros reducir el flujo del aceite. No hay nada como eso con este negocio. Hay demasiados productores, demasiadas diversas compañías, tan allí no es cártel, primero de todos. Ahora -- puede haber productores de la gente o del cáñamo del negocio (lo que usted les llama) que sean aquí crecimiento decente mexicano -- el es lo que hemos visto en los últimos años de los pares, es los cultivadores grandes de la plantación en vez de hippies con un par cientos plantas; usted tiene individuos con diez de los millares… de millares.

ADO: ¿Pero es eso sobre todo en su propia tierra?

RL: No… no -- ése es parte del punto. Posiblemente una de las razones que lo están haciendo aquí es ésa después de 9/11, las fronteras de la seguridad han conseguido un poco más resistentes, y tan si lo crecen aquí, no tienen que preocuparse del contrabando lo a través. Está ya aquí.

ADO: Una pregunta que no veo discutido mucho, que soy la diferencia entre la legalización y el decriminalization.

RL: “Decrim” realmente no hace cualquier cosa. ¿Hemos tenido decrim en lo que, estados una docena? ... incluyendo California desde los años 70, que hace como multa de cientos dólares para bajo onza y no es una ofensa arrestable, como un boleto de estacionamiento o un boleto que apresura -- eso es cuáles es el decrim. Hace algo para la gente que no está consiguiendo arrestada. Es una buena cosa para ellos. Pero no hace cualquier cosa ocuparse del crimen porque no trata ventas, cultivación del negro-mercado… cualquier cosa. De hecho, la prohibición del alcohol era “decrim”. ¿Usted sabía eso? El alcohol era solamente ilegal ser hecho o ser transportado o ser vendido -- usted podría poseer todos lo que usted deseó en un nivel personal… su poder ve tan todo el crimen y violencia -- El Arma-Al Capone, de que de Tommy vino con ese “decrim”. Ése es porqué cualquier persona que es serio sobre reforma de la droga realmente odia el decrim, porque usted puede ver cómo podría ser utilizado contra reformadores -- cuando dicen, “bien, decrimmed y entonces todavía había toda esta violencia -- ¿vea? “No hace ningún bueno.

ADO: ¿Usted tiene se preocupa eso con la legalización que las corporaciones van a venir adentro y a dominar el mercado con cantidades masivas de dólares de la comercialización?

RL: Será justo como la industria de vino. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

alternet

POT legale in California in 2010? “Oaksterdam„ fornisce il modello
Automatically translated into Italian thanks to WorldLingo
Da indossi Hazen, AlterNet:



Ci è un ronzio che si muove attraverso la coltura, mentre l'opinione pubblica intorno ad uso della canapa sta spostando velocemente, che la legalizzazione di marijuana in alcuno dichiara, specialmente la California, è una possibilità crescente.

La votazione recente da Zogby in maggio ha dimostrato che una maggioranza degli Americani, ad esempio che “ha il significato tassare e regolare„ la marijuana. Lo scrutinio di Zogby, incaricato dal rapporto conservatore-orientato di O'Leary, ha trovato 52 per cento per legalizzazione, solo 37 per cento hanno opposto. As Rapporti torvi del Ryan sull'alberino di Huffington , lle notizie precedenti di ABCAlberino de Washington lo scrutinio ha trovato 46 per cento nel supporto. Nella California, uno scrutinio del campo ha trovato 56 per cento di legalizzazione della protezione e di conseguenza il governo della California Arnold Schwarzenegger ha richiesto un dibattito aperto su legalizzazione, tutta che suggerissero che la società americana può raggiungere un punto di capovolgimento quando viene al POT legale.

Un allineamento di nuove circostanze -- Le carbossimetilazioni nell'alimentazione, andare economico di recessione dichiara starving per il reddito che potrebbe venire dalla tassazione le vendite della canapa, meno fondi monetari per applicazione di legge e degli operatori messicani della droga che entrano in Stati Uniti per sviluppare gli importi enormi del POT non tassato, contribuente al sud horrible di violenza della droga del bordo -- sostenga il sostegno pubblico crescente legalizzazione del POT.

L'elemento dell'antera forse che spinge i cambiamenti alle nostre leggi del POT è il gaggle dei colleghe sconosciuti della base che sono franchi sull'edizione. L'ex ministro George Shultz e l'economista conservatore ritardato Milton Friedman è stato per legalizzazione per gli anni. Ma recentemente vasca di tintura selvaggia conservatrice del Glenn dell'uomo delle notizie della volpe l'ultima ed i CNN Jack molto più ragionevole Cafferty hanno messo in discussione pubblicamente il combattimento ogni anno speso miliardi la guerra infinita contro le droghe. Stanno facendo parte del chorus crescente che suggeriscono che ora rende senso più finanziario e più sociale tassare e regolare la marijuana.

Al epicenter del colloquio legale del POT e strategico l'azione politica è rifugi del Richard, un imprenditore altamente riuscito del POT, che durante la decade passata ha girato la regione di intrattenimento “del uptown„ di Oakland del centro, la California in che cosa molti denominano Oaksterdam, un gioco su Amsterdam, la loro città di sorella in Olanda. Un centro della trasformazione de Oakland è università di Oaksterdam che rifugi fondati per preparare la gente per i lavori nell'industria della canapa. Poichè ha detto a MSNBC, “la mia idea di base è professionalize l'industria e la ha seriamente giusto preso come birra e liquore duro di distillazione.„ L'università, con mezza dozzina altri “commerci della canapa,„ controllato da Lee porta i migliaia degli ospiti ad Oakland quotidiana.

Iniziativa di legalizzazione del POT della California

Ed era rifugi del Richard che hanno alzato le sopracciglia fra i molti ultima settimana, compreso alcuno “nell'istituzione di riforma della droga,„ quando ha annunciato uno sforzo qualificarsi per la scheda elettorale in tutto lo stato della California in novembre di 2010, il controllo, regolano e una Legge di 2010, la prima iniziativa in tutto lo stato principale della canapa di imposta destinata per legalizzare la marijuana per uso personale.

Rifugi e TaxCannabis2010.org, recentemente minted l'organizzazione che ha cominciato spingere l'iniziativa, richieste per la legalizzazione di piccoli importi di marijuana per il possesso personale dagli adulti 21 e più vecchio e permesso le città e le contee l'opzione delle vendite e della coltura regolanti. L'importo legale sarebbe di 1 oncia per il possesso personale, con coltura permessa in uno spazio no più in gran parte di 5 piedi da 5 piedi.

I rifugi ritiene molto fortemente che la marea ha girato fra il pubblico mentre lo scrutinio indica. “Questa sarà un'occasione del limite che genererà l'interesse e costituisce un fondo per in tutta la nazione,„ lui ha detto. Se riuscita, l'iniziativa sarà osservata come spartiacque “un primo punto nel cambiare la legge federale. „

Programmi del gruppo dei rifugi per trasmettere l'iniziativa al Attorney General colore marrone Jerry della California in luglio per la svista di titolo e del sommario richiesta da legge. La riunione della firma comincerà in agosto, con 650.000 firme richieste entro gennaio per fare la scheda elettorale del novembre 2010. Un funzionamento politico efficiente, con i gatherers paid della firma, come pure i migliaia dei volontari è previsto.

Recentemente ho speso una mattina a Oakland con i rifugi che faccio un giro dell'allineamento delle facilità che compongono la sua rete di Oaksterdam, compreso la sua proprietà di sette costruzioni in alcuni raggio del blocco. Il fatto che i rifugi è al centro dell'azione di legalizzazione non è una sorpresa, data suo l'azionamento, a passione e ad abilità evidenti di affari. Infatti, sta tentando di dire dopo che spendendo il tempo con il fautore e l'uomo d'affari politici astuti della frusta, che ho visto che il futuro ed esso del POT è rifugi e Oaksterdam del Richard.

I rifugi non è esattamente una parola di famiglia nei cerchi della droga e politici di riforma. Ma basato sulla sua attenzione corrente di mezzi -- compreso Geraldo, MSNBC e le tonnellate di articoli della stampa, molto presto sarà la persona più collegata con legalizzazione del POT in America. I rifugi è “Johnny vengono-ritardato,„ uno. Durante la decade passata, ha preso i progressi importanti nella costruzione dell'impero di affari della canapa nella sezione di intrattenimento di Oakland che include le nuove barre, i ristoranti, un'eruzione di nuovi condos altamente progettati, il teatro popolare de Paramount ed il rinnovamento spettacolare del teatro famoso della volpe, che pongono dormente per molti anni. I rifugi hanno scherzato che si è sentito che quando le seccature del Allman legano giocato recentemente a Oakland, quella la volpe ha goduto l'odore penetrante del fumo del POT, un segno benvenuto affinchè la zona fosse POT amichevole. Gran parte dello sforzo del centro di sviluppo viene dalle iniziative cominciate quando il colore marrone Jerry, ora Attorney General e candidato per il regolatore, era sindaco.

I rifugi inoltre ha un certo numero di successi politici sotto la sua cinghia. In effetti nelle prossime settimane, gli elettori de Oakland voteranno su un'elezione speciale di luglio posta-nella scheda elettorale che include la misura F, che renderebbe alla loro città la prima nella nazione per stabilire un nuovo tasso di imposta per “i commerci della canapa.„ Se la misura è approvata, i commerci medici della marijuana de Oakland, che generano annualmente i $20 milioni valutato nelle vendite - ed ora sono caricati al tasso generale di imposta di $1.20 per $1.000 ricevute lorde - vedrebbero che il tasso si è alzato a $18 per $1.000, un aumento delle 15 volte.

Conciliare il Carla Marinucci, segnalante per Chronicle de San Francisco, la misura è stata sostenuta entusiastico da Lee e dai soprintendenti di altri dispensari medici della marijuana della città come uno che potrebbe contribuire più di $400.000 all'anno ai cofani della città mentre però dando ai commerci medici della marijuana un profilo sempre più tradizionale in una città importante.

Un altro successo della scheda elettorale è stato misura Z, che ha passato dagli elettori 64 - 36 de Oakland di 2004. La misura Z ha dato i rifugi e molto POT locale sostiene una certa stanza di manovramento seria, tentante di legalizzare efficacemente l'uso della marijuana nella città. Più di 30.000 residenti de Oakland hanno firmato le petizioni per mettere la Z sulla scheda elettorale che ha chiesto alla polizia de Oakland di mettere tutta l'altra attività criminale prima del processo degli utenti del POT ed ha invitato i funzionari della città a sostenere la legalizzazione di uso della marijuana dell'adulto per tutto lo stato.

Da allora i rifugi è stato molto occupati. Prima del seduta per un'intervista i rifugi lo hanno preso durante un giro del suo terreno. Quasi ho dovuto rompermi in un trotto per continuare con la sedia a rotelle d'accelerazione dei rifugi che riguarda rapidamente il terreno molto. Mentre abbiamo lavorato giù la quindicesima via, ha precisato le tre costruzioni che già possiede sulla via e sulla sua fantasia di trasformare nel blocco un centro commerciale di traffico-di meno, con i negozi di caffè (caffè in cui l'acquisto del POT e fumare è legali) una La Amsterdam. “Questa è la nostra via di progetto. È una coppia dei blocchi lunghi con non molto traffico in modo da l'idea è vicino giù durante il giorno. A Amsterdam, le vie sono strette con i marciapiedi più larghi, l'opposto delle cose qui. “

Oltre a Oaksterdam U, che sembra prosperare, Leestarted il caffè del Bulldog (chiamato dopo una collezione famosa di coffeehouses de Amsterdam) e possiede il deposito crescere e dell'apparecchiatura del POT in cui ci è una gamma di macchine alta tecnologie per fare il hash ed i microscopii potenti per una vista aumentata eccellente della bellezza della pianta del POT -- in questo caso “vedova bianca„ che i cristalli nella pianta del POT emanano un gioiello come incandescenza. Vicino a vicino è un deposito della novità della canapa con le centinaia dei tschockes freddi e corny del POT, T-shirts e simili, presto essere un museo della canapa (come quello a Amsterdam, naturalmente), rifugi inoltre ha un studio di salto di vetro e un'agenzia di pubblicità-- tutto il migliore promuovere i suoi funzionamenti vari (per esempio. I rifugi fa pubblicità a per Oaksterdam U. ai concerti allo Shoreline Amphitheatre.) e per concludere, la piece de resistance, un magazzino crescente del POT, con molte dozzine delle piante verdi belle e pungenti che prosperano sotto l'incandescenza calda di sviluppano le luci. I rifugi precisa fiero le sue specialità compreso “il rhino bianco„ e “il casey Jones„ -- quale sono venduti al caffè del cielo blu, il suo dispensario medico del POT, un blocco via.

Mentre visito il cielo blu, sento la testimonianza da una donna che possiede un deposito seguente del negozio, che è desideroso di ripartirsi come il suo commercio si è sviluppato con il nuovo traffico trovato al dispensario. Tutto il questo è destinato per indicare che il commercio della canapa può essere un popolare ed il modello responsabile di affari che può contribuire per trasformare Oakland del centro, che mentre migliorando, può certamente usare più di una spinta. Mi sono seduto giù con i rifugi per discutere sia l'immagine grande della politica della droga che del POT, così come la sua esperienza a Oakland, generante un modello visionary per pensare creativo della canapa:

Indossi Hazen: Gil Kerlikowske, nuovo czar della droga del Obama, ad esempio il concetto della guerra contro le droghe -- che siamo alla guerra con la nostra propria gente -- deve concludersi. Siete stati sorprendi da quello?

Rifugi del Richard: No, ma io pensa che sia facile da dirlo; è un'altra cosa a realmente la fa. Così eventualmente è un primo punto, un cambiamento dell'atteggiamento da più di un'applicazione di legge della polizia del `da contribuire' a avvicinarsi a, che sarebbe una buona cosa.

È come che Ethan Nadleman (testa dell'alleanza di politica della droga) dice; la riforma significativa della droga è come la rotazione intorno ad un'autocisterna eccellente… .but il punto è che sta cominciando girare. Non lo non invitare per girare intorno su una moneta da dieci centesimi di dollaro; ci sono lotti ad esso. Dalla mia prospettiva è una guerra fra le droghe ed è drugism -- quale è, la gente che pensa che la loro droga sia migliore dell'altra gente. È come il razzismo -- la gente che pensa la loro corsa è migliore della corsa della gente. Qui la gente discrimina basato sulla loro sostanza della scelta. I bevitori alcolici pensano che siano migliori dei consumatori della canapa.

Giusto come il razzismo non si è concluso con i 1964 diritti civili si comportano, drugism non si concluderà con legalizzazione della canapa. Abbiamo sviluppato una generazione intera di avversione e del pregiudizio. Avete poliziotti che ancora dicono che “non crediamo in marijuana medica, noi non ci preoccupiamo quanta gente vota per esso, come cambiate le leggi; stiamo andando fare che cosa crediamo dentro,„ e cambiare quello sta andando occorrere abbastanza molto tempo.

DH: Così che cosa sta spingendo il cambiamento? È che dichiara il reddito di bisogno, là sta andando essere pochi poliziotti, meno gente in prigione, la gente desidera mettere una piegatura nei loro cartelli messicani che traggono beneficio dal POT che è illegale in dichiarano?

RL: Il Messico decriminalized appena il POT -- avete sentito parlare di quello?

DH: No, realmente.

RL: Yep. Il nuovo presidente lo ha firmato e la volpe del Vicente (Quesada), l'ex presidente, è andato appena sui mezzi dicente che è tempo di guardare e dibattere legalizzare. È quello che mette la fattura originale per legalizzare i piccoli importi due anni fa; e vi ricordate della tempesta del fuoco che è accaduto con Bush. Tutto saltato giù le loro gole e lui hanno detto, “l'OH! QUELLO è CRAZINESS! IL WHO RICHIEDEREBBE MAI QUESTO?!?! “Questa volta, la nuova fattura è andato appena a destra attraverso; nessun muss, nessun fuss -- nessuno ha detto una parola e nessuno che lo dibattono.

DH: Come i cartelli messicani funzionano negli Stati Uniti? Sviluppano il POT qui?

RL: Penso che il cartello sia una parola di mezzi per rendere esso il suono più spaventoso -- Il cartello è supposto per essere un'organizzazione monopolistica che controlla il mercato totale di qualcosa; come l'OPEC, controllare il prezzo di olio tagliando produzione, convincente tutti i relativi' membri a ridurre il flusso di olio. Ci è niente come quello con questo commercio. Non ci sono troppi produttori, troppe aziende differenti, così là sono cartello, in primo luogo. Ora -- ci possono essere la gente di affari o produttori della canapa (qualunque denominate loro) che sono qui crescere decent messicano -- quello è che cosa abbiamo visto durante gli anni scorsi delle coppie, è i coltivatori grandi della piantagione anziché i hippies con una coppia cento piante; avete ottenuto i tipi con i dieci di migliaia… delle migliaia.

DH: Ma è quello principalmente sulla loro propria terra?

RL: Nessun… no -- quello fa parte del punto. Possibilmente uno dei motivi che stanno facendolo qui è quello dopo 9/11, i bordi di sicurezza hanno ottenuto un poco piccolo più duro e così se lo sviluppano qui, non devono preoccuparli per contrabbando attraverso. È già qui.

DH: Una domanda che non vedo discusso molto, che sono la differenza fra legalizzazione e il decriminalization.

RL: “Decrim„ realmente non fa nulla. Abbiamo avuti decrim in che cosa, un dozzina dichiara? ... compreso la California dagli anni 70, che fa come un'indennità degli cento dollari per sotto un'oncia e non è un'offesa arrestable, come un biglietto di parcheggio o un biglietto d'accelerazione -- quello è che cosa il decrim è. Fa qualcosa per la gente che non sta ottenendo arrestata. È una buona cosa per loro. Ma non fa nulla occuparsi del crimine perché non richiama le vendite, coltura del nero-mercato… qualche cosa. In effetti, la proibizione dell'alcool era “decrim„. Avete conosciuto quello? L'alcool era soltanto illegale da essere fatto o da trasportato o da venduto -- potreste possedere tutti che desideraste ad un livello personale… così la vostra latta vede tutti i crimine e violenza -- Pistola-Al Capone, quello del Tommy è venuto con quel “decrim„. Ecco perché chiunque che sia serio circa la riforma della droga realmente odia il decrim, perché potete vedere come potrebbe essere usato contro i reformers -- quando dicono, “bene, decrimmed ed allora ci erano ancora tutta questa violenza -- veda? “Non fa alcuna merce.

DH: Avete preoccupate quello con legalizzazione che le società stanno andando entrare e dominare il mercato con gli importi voluminosi dei dollari di vendita?

RL: Sarà giusto come l'industria vinicola. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

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Zugelassener Topf in Kalifornien 2010? „Oaksterdam“ liefert das Modell
Automatically translated into German thanks to WorldLingo
Durch ziehen Sie Hazen an, AlterNet:



Es gibt ein Summen, das durch die Kultur bewegt, wie die allgemeine Haltung um Hanfgebrauch sich schnell verschiebt, der die Legalisierung des Marihuanas in einigen Zuständen, besonders Kalifornien, ist eine wachsende Möglichkeit.

Neue Wahl durch Zogby im Mai zeigte, daß eine Majorität Amerikaner, sagen, daß sie „sinnvoll ist, Marihuana zu besteuern und zu regulieren“. Die Zogby Abstimmung, beauftragt durch den konservativ-orientierten O'Leary Report, fand 52 Prozent zugunsten der Legalisierung, nur 37 Prozent entgegensetzten. Wie Ryan grimmige Berichte über den Huffington Pfosten , vorhergehende ABC NachrichtenWashington Pfosten Abstimmung fand 46 Prozent in der Unterstützung. In Kalifornien fand eine auffangeneabstimmung 56 der Schutzträgerprozent Legalisierung und infolgedessen Kaliforniens reg. Arnold Schwarzenegger verlangte eine geöffnete Debatte auf Legalisierung, alle, die vorschlagen, daß amerikanische Gesellschaft einen neigenden Punkt erreichen kann, wenn sie zum zugelassenen Topf kommt.

Eine Reihe neue Umstände -- Demokraten in der Energie, ökonomische Rezession, die Zustände verhungernd für Einkommen läßt, das von der Steuerfestsetzung von Hanfverkäufen, von weniger Kapitaln für Gesetzdurchführung und von mexikanischen Drogearbeitern kommen, die könnte in die US umziehen, um sehr große Mengen des steuerfreien Topfes zu wachsen, tragend zum schrecklichen Drogegewalttätigkeit Süden des Randes bei -- stützen Sie die wachsende allgemeine Unterstützung für Legalisierung des Topfes.

Das Anthereelement möglicherweise, das änderungen an unseren Topfgesetzen drückt, ist die Schar der merkwürdigen Bettgefährten, die auf der Ausgabe freimütig sind. Ehemaliger Staatssekretär George Shultz und der späte konservative Wirtschaftswissenschaftler Milton Friedman sind für Legalisierung für Jahre gewesen. Aber vor kurzem haben neuester konservativer wilder Kessel und CNN viel angemessenerer Jack Cafferty Glenn Mann der Fuchs-Nachrichten öffentlich die Milliarden gefragt, die den aufgewendet werden endlosen Krieg gegen Drogen jedes Jahr, kämpfend. Sie verbinden den wachsenden Chor, die vorschlagen, daß es jetzt finanziellere und sozialrichtung, Marihuana zu besteuern und zu regulieren bildet.

Am Epizentrum des zugelassenen Topfgespräches und strategisch ist politische Tätigkeit Richard Schutze, ein in hohem Grade erfolgreicher Topfunternehmer, der über der letzten Dekade den „uptown“ Unterhaltung Bereich von im Stadtzentrum gelegenem Oakland, Kalifornien gedreht hat in, was viele Oaksterdam nennen, ein Spiel auf Amsterdam, ihre Schwesterstadt in Holland. Ein Mittelstück der Oakland Umwandlung ist Oaksterdam Universität, die die Schutze gegründet, um Leute für Jobs in der Hanfindustrie vorzubereiten. Da er MSNBC erklärte, „meine Grundidee ist professionalize die Industrie und haben sie genommenes ernsthaft gerechtes wie Bier und destillierender harter Alkohol.“ Die Universität, zusammen mit ein halbes Dutzend andere „Hanfgeschäfte,“ gesteuert durch Lee holen Tausenden Besucher nach tägliches Oakland.

Kalifornien Topf-Legalisierung-Initiative

Und es war Richard Schutze, die Augenbrauen unter vielen letzte Woche, einschließlich einiges in der „Drogeverbesserungeinrichtung,“, als er eine Bemühung verkündete, für den Kalifornien Nationalstimmzettel im November von 2010 zu qualifizieren, die Steuerung anhoben, und Steuer-Hanf-Tat von 2010, die erste Hauptnationalinitiative sich regulieren, die entworfen war, um Marihuana für persönlichen Gebrauch zu legalisieren.

Schutze und TaxCannabis2010.org, minted eben Organisation, die er begann, die Initiative zu drücken, Anrufe für die Legalisierung von etwas Marihuana für persönlichen Besitz durch Erwachsene 21 und älteres und erlaubt Städte und Grafschaften die Wahl der stabilisierten Verkäufe und der Bearbeitung. Die zugelassene Menge würde 1 Unze für persönlichen Besitz sein, wenn die Bearbeitung in einem Raum erlaubt ist, nicht größer als 5 Fuß durch 5 Fuß.

Schutze glaubt sehr stark, daß die Gezeiten sich unter der öffentlichkeit gedreht haben, während die Abstimmungen anzeigen. „Dieses ist eine Grenzsteingelegenheit, die Interesse erzeugt und im ganzen Land finanziert,“ er sagte. Wenn erfolgreich, wird die Initiative als Wasserscheide „ein erster Schritt angesehen, wenn man Bundesgesetz ändert. “

Pläne Gruppe der Schutze, zum der Initiative zu schicken dem Kalifornien Attorney General Jerry Braun im Juli für die Zusammenfassung und Titelaufsicht erfordert durch Gesetz. Unterschrift Versammlung fängt im August an, wenn 650.000 Unterzeichnungen bis zum Januar erfordert sind, um den November 2010 Stimmzettel zu bilden. Ein leistungsfähiger politischer Betrieb, mit zahlenden Unterzeichnungsammlern, sowie Tausenden Freiwilligern wird erwartet.

Vor kurzem verbrachte ich einen Morgen in Oakland mit Schutzen die Reihe von Service, der sein Oaksterdam Netz bilden, einschließlich seinen Besitz von sieben Gebäuden in einigen bereisend Blockradius. Die Tatsache, daß Schutze in der Mitte der Legalisierungtätigkeit ist, ist nicht eine überraschung, seinem Antrieb gegeben, Neigung und offensichtlichen Geschäft Fähigkeiten. Tatsächlich reizt es zu sagen, nachdem es Zeit mit dem intelligenten politischen Fürsprecher und dem Geschäftsmann der Peitsche verbracht hat, daß ich gesehen habe, daß die Topfzukunft und -es Richard Schutze und Oaksterdam sind.

Schutze ist nicht genau ein Haushalt Wort in den politischen und Drogeverbesserungkreisen. Aber gegründet auf seiner gegenwärtigen Mittelaufmerksamkeit -- einschließlich Geraldo, MSNBC und Tonnen Druckartikel, ist er sehr bald die Person, die mit Topflegalisierung in Amerika am verbundensten ist. Schutze ist kein „Johnny kommen-spät,“ irgendein. Über der letzten Dekade hat er Hauptfortschritte genommen, wenn er ein Hanfgeschäft Reich im Unterhaltung Abschnitt von Oakland errichtete, das neue Stäbe, Gaststätten, einen Hautausschlag der neuen in hohem Grade entworfenen Eigentumswohnungen, das populäre Paramount Theater und die großartige Erneuerung des berühmten Fuchs-Theaters einschließt, die schlafendes für viele Jahre legen. Schutze scherzten, daß er hörte, daß, wenn die Allman Störungen vor kurzem gespielt in Oakland mit einem Band versehen, das der Fuchs den scharfen Geruch des Topfrauches genoß, ein willkommenes Zeichen, damit der Bereich der freundliche Topf ist. Viel der im Stadtzentrum gelegenen Wachstumbemühung kommt von den angefangenen Initiativen, als Jerry Braun, jetzt Attorney General und Anwärter für Regler, Bürgermeister war.

Schutze hat auch eine Anzahl von politischen Erfolgen unter seinem Riemen. Tatsächlich in den nächsten Wochen, werden Oakland Wähler auf einer Juli speziellen Wahl Post-im Stimmzettel wählen, der Maß F einschließt, das ihre Stadt die erste in der Nation einen neuen Steuersatz für „Hanfgeschäfte würde herstellen lassen.“ Wenn das Maß anerkannt ist, Oakland würden medizinische Marihuanageschäfte, die geschätztes $20 Million jährlich in den Verkäufen erzeugen - und werden jetzt mit dem allgemeinen Steuersatz von $1.20 pro $1.000 Bruttoerträge aufgeladen -, daß Rate bis $18 pro $1.000 anhob, eine 15 Falte Zunahme sehen.

Übereinstimmen des Carla Marinucci, berichtend für San Francisco Chronik, wurde das Maß enthusiastisch von Lee und von den Aufsehern anderer medizinischer Dispensaries Marihuana der Stadt als einer gestützt, der mehr als $400.000 ein Jahr zu den Stadt Coffers beim den medizinischen Marihuanageschäften ein in zunehmendem Maße Hauptströmungsprofil in einer Hauptstadt auch geben beitragen könnte.

Ein anderer Stimmzettelerfolg ist Maß Z gewesen, das durch Oakland Wähler 64 - 36 2004 überschritt. Maß Z gab Schutze und viel befürwortet lokaler Topf etwas ernsten manövrierenden Raum und versucht, Marihuanagebrauch in der Stadt effektiv zu legalisieren. Mehr als 30.000 Oakland Bewohner unterzeichneten Petitionen, um Z auf den Stimmzettel zu setzen, der Oakland Polizei bat, ganze kriminelle Tätigkeit vor der Verfolgung der Topfbenutzer und der erbetenen Stadtbeamten zu setzen weitere, um Legalisierung des Erwachsenmarihuanagebrauches national zu befürworten.

Seit damals ist Schutze sehr beschäftigt gewesen. Vor dem Sitzen für ein Interview nahmen Schutze mich auf einer Tour seines Geländes. Ich mußte in ein Trab fast brechen, um mit rollstuhlbedeckungmenge der Schutze einer beschleunigenBoden schnell aufrechtzuerhalten. Während wir hinunter 15. Straße bearbeiteten, unterstrich er die drei Gebäude, die er bereits auf der Straße und seiner Phantasie des Machens des Blockes zu ein Verkehr-weniger Mall besitzt, mit Kaffeegeschäften (Kaffee, in denen Topfkaufen und das Rauchen zugelassen ist), ein La Amsterdam. „Dieses ist unsere Projekt-Straße. Es ist ein Paar der Blöcke, die mit nicht vielem Verkehr lang sind, also ist die Idee, es unten während des Tages zu schließen. In Amsterdam sind Straßen mit breiteren Bürgersteigen, das Entgegengesetzte von Sachen hier schmal. „

Außer Oaksterdam U, das scheint vorwärtszukommen, besitzt Leestarted der Bulldogge-Kaffee (genannt nach einer berühmten Ansammlung Amsterdam Cafén) und Topfwachsen und -ausrüstungsspeicher, in dem es eine Strecke der High-Tech Maschinen für das Bilden des Durcheinanders gibt, und leistungsfähige Mikroskope für eine erhöhte Superansicht der Schönheit des Topfbetriebes -- in diesem Fall „weiße Witwe“, der die Kristalle im Topfbetrieb ein Juwel wie Glühen abgeben. Nahe vorbei ist ein Hanfneuheitspeicher mit Hunderten der kühlen und blöden Topf tschockes, T-Shirts und dergleichen, ein Hanfmuseum bald zu sein (wie das in Amsterdam, selbstverständlich), Schutze hat auch ein Glasdurchbrennenstudio und ein Werbebüro-- alles bessere, seine mannigfaltigen Betriebe zu fördern (z.B. Schutze annonciert für Oaksterdam U. an den Konzerten am Shoreline Amphitheatre.) und schließlich, wachsen la piece de resistance, ein wachsendes Lager des Topfes, mit vielen Dutzenden der schönen und scharfen Grünpflanzen, die unter dem warmen Glühen von vorwärtskommen, Lichter. Schutze unterstreicht stolz seine Spezialgebiete einschließlich „weißen Rhino“ und „casey Jones“ -- welche am blauer Himmel-Kaffee verkauft werden, sein medizinischer Topf Dispensary, ein Block weg.

Beim Besuchen des blauen Himmels, höre ich Zeugnis von einer Frau, die einen Geschäft folgenden Speicher besitzt, der eifrig ist, zu teilen, wie ihr Geschäft mit dem neuen gefundenen Verkehr zum Dispensary gewachsen ist. Das ganzes dieses ist entworfen, um zu zeigen, daß Hanfgeschäft ein populäres sein kann und verantwortliches Geschäft Modell, das helfen kann, im Stadtzentrum gelegenes Oakland umzuwandeln, das beim Verbessern, mehr einer Erhöhung zweifellos verwenden kann. Ich saß mit Schutzen hin, um die grosse Abbildung der Topf- und Drogepolitik, sowie seine Erfahrung in Oakland zu besprechen und verursachte ein visionäres Modell für das kreative Hanfdenken:

Ziehen Sie Hazen an: Gil Kerlikowske, Obamas neuer Drogezar, sagte das Konzept des Krieges gegen Drogen -- daß wir am Krieg mit unseren eigenen Leuten sind -- muß beenden. Wurden Sie von dem überrascht?

Richard Schutze: Nr., aber ich denken, daß es einfach ist, es zu sagen; es ist eine andere Sache zu wirklich tut sie. So hoffnungsvoll ist es ein erster Schritt, eine Haltungsänderung von mehr einer `Polizei-Gesetzdurchführung, zum zu helfen' sich zu nähern, die eine gute Sache sein würde.

Es ist wie, welches Ethan Nadleman (Kopf des Droge-Politik-Bündnisses) sagt; bedeutende Drogeverbesserung ist wie das Drehen um einen Supertanker… .but der Punkt ist, daß es beginnt sich zu drehen. Sie erwarten es nicht, um sich auf einen Groschen herum zu drehen; es gibt Lose zu es. Von meiner Perspektive ist es ein Krieg zwischen Drogen, und es ist drugism -- welches ist, die Leute, die denken, daß ihre Droge besser als andere Völker ist. Es ist wie Rassismus -- die Leute, die ihr Rennen denken, sind besser als Rennen der Leute. Hier sondern Leute gegründet auf ihrer Substanz der Wahl ab. Die alkoholischen Trinker denken, daß sie besser als Hanfverbraucher sind.

Gerecht wie Rassismus beendete nicht mit den 1964 Zivilrechten fungieren, drugism beendet nicht mit Hanflegalisierung. Wir haben ein vollständiges Erzeugung des Hasses und des Vorurteils aufgebaut. Sie haben Bullen, die noch sagen, daß „wir nicht an medizinisches Marihuana, wir uns interessieren nicht glauben, wieviele Leute für es wählen, wie Sie die Gesetze ändern; wir werden tun was wir innen glauben,“ und das Ändern das wird ein langfristiges durchaus nehmen.

AVW: So drückt was die änderung? Ist es, daß die Zustände Einkommen benötigen, dort wird sein wenige Spindeln, weniger Leute im Gefängnis, Leute möchte einen Falz in ihre mexikanischen Kartelle einsetzen, die vom Topf profitieren, der in den Zuständen ungültig ist?

RL: Mexiko decriminalized gerade Topf -- hörten Sie über das?

AVW: Nr., wirklich.

RL: Yep. Der neue Präsident unterzeichnete es, und Vicente Fuchs (Quesada), der ex Präsident, ging gerade auf die Mittel sagend, daß es Zeit ist, zu betrachten und das Legalisieren zu debattieren. Vor er ist der, der den setzen Primawechsel, um etwas zwei Jahren zu legalisieren; und Sie erinnern sich den an Feuersturm, der mit Bush geschah. Sie alles gesprungen hinunter ihre Kehlen und ihn sagten, „OH-! DIE ist VERRÜCKTHEIT! WHO WÜRDE ÜBERHAUPT DIESES?!? VERLANGEN! „Dieses mal, ging die neue Rechnung gerade nach rechts durch; keine Verwirrung, kein Getue -- niemand sagte ein Wort und niemanden, die es debattieren.

AVW: Wie arbeiten die mexikanischen Kartelle in den Vereinigten Staaten? Wachsen sie Topf hier?

RL: Ich denke, daß Kartell ein Mittelwort ist, zum es des Tones furchtsamer zu bilden -- Kartell soll eine monopolistische Organisation sein, die den Gesamtmarkt von etwas steuert; wie OPEC den Preis des öls durch den Schnitt von Produktion steuern, alle seine' Mitglieder veranlassend, den Fluß des öls zu verringern. Es gibt nichts wie das mit diesem Geschäft. Es gibt zu viele Produzenten, zu viele unterschiedliche Firmen, so dort ist kein Kartell, zuerst von allen. Jetzt -- es kann Geschäft Leute- oder Hanfproduzenten (was auch immer geben Sie sie nennen), die mexikanisches annehmbares hier wachsen sind -- das ist was wir in die letzten Paarjahre gesehen haben, ist die grossen Plantagezüchter anstelle von den Hippies mit einem Paar hundert Betriebe; Sie haben Kerle mit Tausende… 10 Tausenden.

AVW: Aber ist das meistens auf ihrem eigenen Land?

RL: Nein… nein -- der ist ein Teil des Punktes. Einer vielleicht der Gründe, die sie ihn ist tun hier, der nach 9/11, haben Sicherheit Ränder ein wenig haltbarer erhalten, und so, wenn sie es hier wachsen, müssen sie nicht um Schmuggeln es herüber sich sorgen. Es ist bereits hier.

AVW: Eine Frage, die ich nicht sehr viel besprochen sehe, der Unterschied zwischen Legalisierung und decriminalization bin.

RL: „Decrim“ nicht tut wirklich nichts. Wir haben decrim gehabt in, was, Zustände Dutzend? ... einschließlich Kalifornien seit den siebziger Jahren, das wie eine Geldstrafe von hundert Dollar für unter eine Unze bildet und es nicht eine arrestable Handlung ist, wie einer Parkenkarte oder einer beschleunigenkarte -- das ist, was decrim ist. Es tut etwas für die Leute, die nicht festgehalten erhalten. Es ist eine gute Sache für sie. Aber es tut nicht nichts, das Schwarzmarkt Verbrechen, weil es Verkäufe nicht, adressiert Bearbeitung zu beschäftigen… alles. In Wirklichkeit war Spiritusverbot „decrim“. Wußten Sie das? Spiritus war nur ungültig gebildet zu werden oder transportiert zu werden oder verkauft zu werden -- Sie konnten alle besitzen, die Sie wünschten auf einem persönlichen Niveau… so sehen Ihre Dose alles Verbrechen und Gewalttätigkeit -- Tommy Gewehr-Al Capone, das kam mit diesem „decrim“. Das ist, warum jedermann, das über Drogeverbesserung wirklich ernst ist, decrim haßt, weil Sie sehen können, wie es gegen Reformer benutzt werden könnte -- wenn sie sagen, „gut, decrimmed wir und dann gab es noch die ganze diese Gewalttätigkeit -- sehen Sie? „Es tut kein gutes.

AVW: Haben Sie sich sorgen das mit Legalisierung, daß die Korporationen hereinkommen und den Markt mit massiven Mengen Marketing-Dollar beherrschen werden?

RL: Es ist wie die Weinindustrie gerecht. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

alternet

Potenciômetro legal em Califórnia em 2010? “Oaksterdam” fornece o modelo
Automatically translated into Portuguese thanks to WorldLingo
Por Don Hazen, AlterNet:



Há um zumbido que move-se através da cultura, como as atitudes públicas em torno do uso do cannabis estão deslocando ràpidamente, que o legalization do marijuana em alguns estados, particularmente Califórnia, está uma possibilidade crescente.

A votação recente por Zogby em maio demonstrou que uma maioria dos americanos, diz que “faz o sentido tax e regular” o marijuana. A votação de Zogby, comissão pelo relatório conservador-orientado de O'Leary, encontrou 52 por cento no favor do legalization, only 37 por cento se opuseram. Como Relatórios Grim de Ryan no borne de Huffington , uma notícia precedente do ABCBorne de Washington a votação encontrou 46 por cento na sustentação. Em Califórnia, uma votação do campo encontrou 56 por cento de legalization do revestimento protetor e em conseqüência Califórnia Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger chamou-se para um debate aberto no legalization, tudo que sugerem que a sociedade americana pode alcançar um ponto derrubando quando vem ao potenciômetro legal.

Uma disposição de circunstâncias novas -- Democratas no poder, recession econômico que deixa estados starving para o rendimento que poderia vir de taxing vendas do cannabis, menos fundos para o enforcement de lei e os operatives mexicanos da droga que se movem nos E.U. para crescer quantidades enormes de potenciômetro untaxed, contribuindo ao sul horrible da violência da droga da beira -- suporte a sustentação pública crescente para o legalization do potenciômetro.

O elemento do Anther talvez que empurra mudanças a nossas leis do potenciômetro é o gaggle dos companheiros estranhos da cama que são outspoken na edição. A secretária de estado anterior George Shultz e o economista conservador atrasado Milton Friedman foram para o legalization por anos. Mas recentemente o Beck selvagem conservador o mais atrasado de Glenn do homem das notícias da raposa e os CNN um Jack muito mais razoável Cafferty questionaram publicamente os billions gastados todos os anos lutando a guerra infinita de encontro às drogas. Estão juntando o chorus crescente que sugerem que faz agora um sentido mais financeiro e mais social tax e regular o marijuana.

No epicenter da conversa legal do potenciômetro e estratégico a ação política é Lee de Richard, um empreendedor altamente bem sucedido do potenciômetro, que sobre a década passada gire a área do entertainment do “uptown” de Oakland da baixa, Califórnia em o que muitos se chamam Oaksterdam, um jogo em Amsterdão, sua cidade de irmã em Holland. Um centerpiece da transformação de Oakland é a universidade de Oaksterdam que os Lee fundados para preparar povos para trabalhos na indústria do cannabis. Porque disse MSNBC, “minha idéia básica é professionalize a indústria, e tem-na seriamente justo feito exame como a cerveja e o licor duro destilando.” A universidade, junto com a metade negócios de uns dúzia de outros “cannabis,” controlado por Lee traz milhares dos visitantes a Oakland diário.

Iniciativa do Legalization do potenciômetro de Califórnia

E era os Lee de Richard que levantaram as sobrancelhas entre muitos última semana, including algum da “no estabelecimento da reforma droga,” quando anunciou um esforço qualificar para a cédula statewide de Califórnia em novembro de 2010, o controle, as regulam e um ato de 2010, a primeira iniciativa statewide principal do Cannabis do imposto projetada legalizar o marijuana para o uso pessoal.

Lee e TaxCannabis2010.org, minted recentemente a organização que começou empurrar a iniciativa, chamadas para o legalization de quantidades pequenas de marijuana para a possessão pessoal pelos adultos 21 e mais velho, e permite cidades e condados a opção de vendas e do cultivation regulando. A quantidade legal seria 1 onça para a possessão pessoal, com o cultivation permitido em um espaço não maior de 5 pés por 5 pés.

Os Lee sentem muito fortemente que a maré girou entre o público enquanto as votações indicam. “Esta será uma oportunidade do marco que gere o interesse e o financíe por todo o país,” ele disse. Se bem sucedida, a iniciativa será vista como um watershed “uma primeira etapa em mudar a lei federal. Dos”

plantas do grupo Lee para emitir a iniciativa ao Attorney General marrom Jerry de Califórnia em julho para o oversight do sumário e do título requerido pela lei. O recolhimento da assinatura começará em agosto, com as 650.000 assinaturas requeridas por janeiro para fazer a cédula de novembro 2010. Uma operação política eficiente, com os gatherers pagos da assinatura, assim como milhares dos voluntários espera-se.

Recentemente eu gastei uma manhã em Oakland com Lee que excursiono a disposição das facilidades que compõem sua rede de Oaksterdam, including sua posse de sete edifícios nos alguns raio do bloco. O fato que os Lee estão no centro da ação do legalization não é uma surpresa, dada his a movimentação, paixão e habilidades óbvias do negócio. No fato, tempting dizer depois que gastando o tempo com o advogado e o homem de negócios políticos espertos do chicote, que eu vi que o futuro e do potenciômetro são Lee e Oaksterdam de Richard.

Os Lee não são exatamente uma palavra de casa em círculos políticos e da droga da reforma. Mas baseado em sua atenção atual dos meios -- including Geraldo, MSNBC, e toneladas de artigos da cópia, muito logo será a pessoa a mais associada com legalization do potenciômetro em América. Os Lee não são nenhum “Johnny vêm-atrasado,” qualquer um. Sobre a década passada, fêz exame de strides principais em construir um império do negócio do cannabis na seção do entertainment de Oakland que inclui barras novas, restaurantes, um rash dos condos altamente projetados novos, o Theatre popular de Paramount, e o renovation espectacular do teatro famoso da raposa, que colocam dormant por muitos anos. Os Lee gracejaram que se ouviu que quando os incômodos de Allman se unem jogado em Oakland recentemente, aquele a raposa apreciou o cheiro pungent do fumo do potenciômetro, um sinal bem-vindo para que a área seja potenciômetro amigável. Muito do esforço da baixa do crescimento vem das iniciativas começadas quando o marrom Jerry, agora Attorney General e candidato para o regulador, era Mayor.

Os Lee têm também um número de sucessos políticos sob sua correia. No fato em poucas semanas seguintes, os eleitores de Oakland estarão votando em uma eleição especial de julho correio-na cédula que inclui a medida F, que faria a sua cidade a primeira na nação para estabelecer uma taxa de imposto nova para do “negócios cannabis.” Se a medida fosse aprovada, os negócios médicos do marijuana de Oakland, que geram uns $20 milhões estimado anualmente nas vendas - e é carregado agora na taxa de imposto geral de $1.20 por $1.000 recibos brutos - veriam que a taxa levantou para $18 por $1.000, um aumento de 15 dobras.

Concordando o Carla Marinucci, relatando para Chronicle do San Francisco, a medida foi suportada entusiàstica por Lee e por overseers de outros dispensaries médicos do marijuana da cidade como um que poderia contribuir mais de $400.000 um o ano aos coffers da cidade ao também dar aos negócios médicos do marijuana um perfil cada vez mais mainstream em uma cidade principal.

Um outro sucesso da cédula foi a medida Z, que passou pelos eleitores 64 - 36 de Oakland em 2004. A medida Z deu Lee e muito o potenciômetro local advoga algum quarto manobrando sério, tentando legalizar eficazmente o uso do marijuana na cidade. Mais de 30.000 residentes de Oakland assinaram petições para pôr Z sobre a cédula que pediu que as polícias de Oakland pusessem toda atividade criminal restante antes do prosecution de usuários do potenciômetro e pediu oficiais da cidade advogar statewide o legalization do uso do marijuana do adulto.

Desde Lee tem sido então muito ocupado. Antes de sentar-se para uma entrevista os Lee fizeram exame de me em uma excursão de seu terreno. Eu quase tive que quebrar em um trote para proseguir rapidamente com muitos apressando-se do covering do wheelchair dos Lee da terra. Enquanto nós dirigimos abaixo a 15a rua, indicou os três edifícios que possui já na rua e em seu fantasy de girar o bloco em um mall do tráfego-menos, com lojas de café (cafés onde a compra do potenciômetro e fumar são legais) um la Amsterdão. “Esta é nossa rua do projeto. É um par dos blocos longos com não muito tráfego assim que a idéia é fechá-lo para baixo durante o dia. Em Amsterdão, as ruas são estreitas com sidewalks mais largos, o oposto das coisas aqui. “

Além de Oaksterdam U, que parece prosperar, Leestarted o café do Bulldog (nomeado após uma coleção famosa de coffeehouses de Amsterdão), e possui a loja do crescimento e do equipamento de um potenciômetro onde há uma escala da elevação - máquinas do tech para fazer a mistura, e microscópios poderosos para uma vista realçada super da beleza da planta do potenciômetro -- neste caso “viúva branca” que os cristais na planta do potenciômetro desprendem uma jóia como o fulgor. Perto de perto está uma loja do novelty do cannabis com centenas de tschockes frescos e corny do potenciômetro, T-shirts e o gosto, logo para ser um museu do cannabis (como esse em Amsterdão, naturalmente), Lee tem também um estúdio fundindo de vidro e uma agência anunciando-- todo o melhor promover suas operações variadas (por exemplo. Os Lee anunciam para Oaksterdam U. em concerts no Shoreline Amphitheatre.) e finalmente, la parte de resistência, um armazém crescente do potenciômetro, com muitas dúzias das plantas verdes bonitas e pungent que prosperam sob o fulgor morno de crescem luzes. Os Lee indicam orgulhosamente seus specialties including “o rhino branco” e o “casey Jones” -- quais são vendidos no café do céu azul, seu dispensary médico do potenciômetro, um bloco afastado.

Ao visitar o céu azul, eu ouço o testimony de uma mulher que possua uma loja seguinte da loja, que esteja ansiosa para compartilhar de como seu negócio cresceu com o tráfego encontrado novo ao dispensary. Toda a esta é projetada mostrar que o negócio do cannabis pode ser um popular e o modelo responsável do negócio que pode ajudar transformar Oakland da baixa, que ao melhorar, pode certamente usar mais de um impulso. Eu sentei-me para baixo com Lee para discutir o retrato grande da política do potenciômetro e da droga, as well as sua experiência em Oakland, criando um modelo visionary para pensar creativo do cannabis:

Don Hazen: Gil Kerlikowske, czar novo da droga de Obama, disse o conceito da guerra de encontro às drogas -- que nós estamos na guerra com nossos próprios povos -- deve terminar. Você foi surpreendido por aquele?

Lee de Richard: O No., mas eu pensa que é fácil o dizer; é uma outra coisa a realmente fá-la. Assim esperançosamente é uma primeira etapa, uma mudança de atitude de mais de um enforcement de lei das polícias do `a ajudar' aproximar-se, que seja uma coisa boa.

É como que Ethan Nadleman (cabeça do Alliance da política da droga) diz; a reforma significativa da droga é como o giro em torno de um tanker super… .but o ponto é que está começando girar. Você não o espera girar ao redor em uma moeda de dez centavos; há-lhe uns lotes. De meu perspective é uma guerra entre drogas, e é drugism -- qual é, os povos que pensam de que sua droga é melhor do que outros povos. É como o racism -- o pessoa que pensa de sua raça é melhor do que a raça do pessoa. Aqui os povos discriminam baseado em sua substância da escolha. Os bebedores alcoólicos pensam que são melhores do que consumidores do cannabis.

Justo como o racism não terminou com as 1964 direitas civis agem, drugism não terminará com legalization do cannabis. Nós construímos acima de uma geração inteira do ódio e do preconceito. Você tem os chuis que dizem ainda que “nós não acreditamos no marijuana médico, nós não nos importamos quantos povos votam para ele, como você muda as leis; nós estamos indo fazer o que nós acreditamos dentro,” e mudar isso está indo fazer exame completamente de um tempo longo.

AO: Assim que está empurrando a mudança? É que os estados necessitam o rendimento, lá está indo ser poucas bobinas, menos povos na prisão, povos quer pôr um friso em seus Cartels mexicanos que se beneficiam do potenciômetro que é ilegal nos estados?

RL: México decriminalized apenas o potenciômetro -- você ouviu-se sobre aquele?

AO: No., realmente.

RL: Yep. O presidente novo assinou-o, e a raposa de Vicente (Quesada), presidente ex, foi apenas nos meios dizendo que é hora de olhar e debater legalizar. É esse que põe a conta original para legalizar quantidades pequenas dois anos há; e você recorda a tempestade do fogo que aconteceu com Bush. Todo o saltado abaixo seus gargantas e ele disseram, “OH! AQUELE é CRAZINESS! O WHO CHAMAR-SE-IA SEMPRE PARA ESTE?!?! “Esta vez, a conta nova foi apenas para a direita completamente; nenhum muss, nenhum fuss -- ninguém disse uma palavra e ninguém que debatem o.

AO: Como os Cartels mexicanos trabalham nos Estados Unidos? Crescem o potenciômetro aqui?

RL: Eu penso que o cartel é uma palavra dos meios para fazer lhe o som mais scarier -- O Cartel é suposto para ser uma organização monopolistic que controle o mercado total de algo; como o OPEC, para controlar o preço do óleo cortando a produção, começando todos seus' membros reduzir o fluxo do óleo. Não há nada como aquele com este negócio. Não há produtores demais, companhias diferentes demais, assim lá está nenhum cartel, primeiramente de tudo. Agora -- pode haver povos do negócio ou produtores do cannabis (o que quer que você lhes chama) que são aqui crescimento decent mexicano -- aquele é o que nós vimos nos anos passados dos pares, é os growers grandes da plantação em vez dos hippies com um par cem plantas; você começou guys com dez dos milhares… dos milhares.

AO: Mas é isso na maior parte em sua própria terra?

RL: Não… não -- aquela é parte do ponto. Possivelmente uma das razões que a estão fazendo é aqui aquela após 9/11, as beiras da segurança começaram um pouco mais resistentes, e assim se o crescerem aqui, não têm que preocupá-lo sobre o smuggling transversalmente. É já aqui.

AO: Uma pergunta que eu não v discutido muito muito, sou a diferença entre o legalization e o decriminalization.

RL: “Decrim” não faz realmente qualquer coisa. Nós tivemos o decrim em que, estados uma dúzia? ... including Califórnia desde os 1970's, que faz como a multa de cem dólares para sob uma onça e não é uma ofensa arrestable, como um bilhete de estacionamento ou um bilhete apressando-se -- aquele é o que o decrim é. Faz algo para os povos que não estão começando prendidos. É uma coisa boa para eles. Mas não faz qualquer coisa tratar do crime porque não se dirige a vendas, cultivation do preto-mercado… qualquer coisa. De fato, a proibição do álcool era “decrim”. Você soube aquele? O álcool era somente ilegal para ser feito ou transportado ou vendido -- você poderia possuir tudo que você quis em um nível pessoal… assim sua lata vê todo o crime e violência -- O Injetor-Al Capone de Tommy, aquele veio com esse “decrim”. Isso é porque qualquer um que é sério sobre a reforma da droga realmente odeia o decrim, porque você pode ver como poderia ser usado de encontro aos reformers -- quando dizem, “bem, nós decrimmed e então havia ainda toda esta violência -- veja? “Não faz nenhum bom.

AO: Você tem preocupa isso com legalization que os corporaçõs estão indo vir dentro e dominar o mercado com quantidades maciças de dólares do marketing?

RL: Será justo como a indústria de vinho. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

alternet

Laglig kruka i Kalifornien i 2010? ”Ger Oaksterdam” modellera
Automatically translated into Swedish thanks to WorldLingo
Vid Universitetslärare Hazen, AlterNet:



Det finns en rykteflyttning till och med kulturen, som de offentliga inställningarna runt om cannabisbruk skiftar snabbt, som legalizationen av marijuana i något påstår, bestämt Kalifornien, är en växande möjlighet.

Den nya röstningen av Zogby i maj visade att en majoritet av amerikaner, något att säga det ”gör avkänning att beskatta och reglera” marijuana. Den Zogby röstningen som bemyndigas av denorienterade O'Leary rapporten, grundar 52 procent i favör av legalization, only 37 procent motsatte. Som Ryan postar grymma rapporter på Huffingtonen , en föregående ABC-News/Washington postar röstningen grundar 46 procent i service. I Kalifornien grundar en sätta inröstning 56 procent täckninglegalization och som ett resultat Kalifornien Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger som kallas för en öppen debatt på legalization, alla, som föreslår att amerikansamhälle kan nå tippa, pekar när den kommer till den lagliga krukan.

En samling av nya omständigheter -- Demokrater driver in, ekonomiskt påstår lämna för nedgång att svälta för intäkt, som kunde komma från att taxa cannabisreor, mindre fonder för rättsskipning och mexicanska drogarbetare som var rörs in i USEN för att växa enorma belopp av obeskattad kruka som bidrar till de förfärliga drogvåldsöderna av gränsa -- stötta den växande offentliga servicen för legalization av krukan.

Driftiga ändringar för Antherbeståndsdel är kanske till våra krukalagar gagglen av konstiga sängkamrater som är frispråkiga på utfärda. Den tidigare utrikesministern George Shultz och den sena konservativa ekonomen Milton Friedman har varit för legalization för år. Men för en tid sedan rävnewss kriger den senaste konservativa wild Glenn för man becken och CNN den mycket som rimligare stålar Cafferty publicly har publicly ifrågasatt miljarderna som spenderas varje år som slåss det ändlöst, mot droger. De sammanfogar den växande kören som föreslår att den gör nu mer finansiell och mer social avkänning att beskatta och reglera marijuana.

På epicentrat av det lagliga krukasamtalet och den strategiska politiska handlingen är Richard Lee, en högt lyckad krukaentreprenör, som över det förgångna årtiondet har vänt ”det uptown” underhållningområdet av i stadens centrum Oakland, Kalifornien in i vad som är många appellen Oaksterdam, en lek på Amsterdam, deras systerstad i Holland. En höjdpunkt av den Oakland omformningen är den Oaksterdam universitetar som Lee grundade för att förbereda folk för jobb i cannabisbranschen. Som han berättade MSNBC, ”är mitt grundidé professionalize branschen och har den tagen allvarligt rättvis lik öl och att destillera hård starksprit.”, Universitetar, tillsammans med halva ett dussin andra ”cannabisaffärer,” kontrollerat av Lee kommer med tusentals besökare till Oakland dagligen.

Insats för Kalifornien krukaLegalization

Och det var Richard Lee som lyftte ögonbryn bland många den sist veckan som var inklusive några i ”drogreformetableringen,”, då han meddelade ett försök att kvalificera sig för Kalifornien den statewide sluten omröstning i November av 2010, kontrollera, att reglera, och skattcannabisen agerar av 2010, första ha som huvudämne statewide insats som planläggs för att legalize marijuana för personligt bruk.

Lee och TaxCannabis2010.org, minted nyligen organisationen som han startade att skjuta insatsen, appeller för legalizationen av lilla belopp av marijuana för personlig besittning av vuxen människa 21 och äldre och låter städer och län alternativet av reglerande reor och odling. Det lagliga beloppet skulle är 1 uns för personlig besittning, med odling som var tillåten i ett utrymme inte större än 5 fot vid 5 fot.

Leekänselförnimmelser mycket starkt som tiden har vänt bland allmänheten, som röstningarna indikerar. ”Ska detta är ett landmarktillfälle, som ska frambringar intresserar, och betalar riksomfattande,” sade han. Om lyckad, ska insatsen beskådas som en vattendelare ”en första steg, i att ändra federal lag. ”

Lees planerar grupp för att överföra insatsen till den Jerry bruntet för den Kalifornien justitiekanslern i Juli för det summarisk och titelförbiseendet som enligt lag krävs. Den ska häftesammankomsten börjar i Augusti, med 650.000 häften som krävs vid Januari för att göra den November 2010 sluten omröstning. En effektiv politisk funktion, med betald häfteihopsamlarear, såväl som tusentals volontärer förväntas.

För en tid sedan spenderade jag en morgon i Oakland med Lee som turnerar samlingen av lättheter, som sminket hans Oaksterdam knyter kontakt som var inklusive hans äganderätt av sju byggnader i några kvarterradien. Faktumet, att Lee är på centrera av legalizationhandlingen, är inte en överrrakning som ges his drev, passion och tydlig affärsexpertis. I faktum frestar det till något att säga når det har spenderat tid med den smart politiska förkämpen och affärsmannen för piska, att jag har sett att krukaframtiden och det är Richard Lee och Oaksterdam.

Lee är inte ett hushåll uttrycker exakt i politiskt, och drogreform cirklar. Men baserat på hans strömmassmediauppmärksamhet -- inklusive Geraldo, MSNBC, och tons av trycket precisera sina anklagelser mot, ska han mycket snart är personen som var mest tillhörande med krukalegalization i Amerika. Lee är ingen ”Johnny kommer-sen,” endera. Över det förgångna årtiondet har han tagit ha som huvudämne kliv, i byggande av ett cannabisaffärsvälde i underhållningen, delar upp av Oakland som inkluderar nytt bommar för, restauranger, ett överilat av nya högt planlagda condos, den populära Paramount theatren och den spektakulära renoveringen av den berömda rävteatern, som lägger dormant för många år. Lee skojade att han hörde att, när de Allman besvären sätter band lekt i Oakland för en tid sedan, det räven tyckte om den pungent lukten av krukan röker, en välkomnande undertecknar för att området ska vara krukavänskapsmatchen. Mycket av det i stadens centrum tillväxtförsöket kommer från började insatser, då den Jerry bruntet, nu justitiekansler och kandidaten för regulator, var borgmästare.

Lee har också ett nummer av politiska framgångar under his att kuta. I faktum i de nästa få veckorna ska Oakland väljare röstar på Juli ett specialt val posta-i sluten omröstning som inkluderar mäter F, som skulle gör deras stad första i nationen för att upprätta en ny skatt klassar för ”cannabisaffärer.”, Om mäta är godkänd, Oakland medicinska marijuanaaffärer, som frambringar en beräknad $20 miljon årligen i skulle försäljare - och nu laddas på den allmänna skatten klassar av $1.20 per som $1.000, bruttot kvitterar - ser, som klassar lyftt till $18 per $1.000, en förhöjning för 15 veck.

Stämma överens Carlaen Marinucci som anmäler för Krönika för San Francisco, stöttades mäta enthusiastically av Lee, och overseers av andra medicinska marijuanaapotek för stad som en, som kunde bidra mer, än $400.000 om året till stadskistastunder som ger också de medicinska marijuanaaffärerna ett mer och mer konventionellt, profilerar i en ha som huvudämnestad.

En annan sluten omröstningframgång har varit mäter Z, som passerade vid Oakland väljare 64 - 36 i 2004. Mäta Z gav Lee och många lokalkrukaförkämpar något allvarligt manövrera rum som försöker effektivt att legalize marijuanabruk i staden. Mer än 30.000 Oakland invånare undertecknade begäran för att sätta Z på sluten omröstning som frågade den Oakland polisen för att sätta all annan brottslig aktivitet för åtalet av krukaanvändare och bedda kommuntjänstemän för att förespråka legalization av vuxet marijuanabruk statewide.

Sedan dess har Lee varit mycket upptagna. Före sammanträde för en intervju tog Lee mig på en turnera av hans terrain. Jag nästan måste att bryta in i en trav till uppehället upp med lees rusa rullstol som täcker en radda som snabbt maldes. Besegra den 15th gatan, honom pekade ut de tre byggnaderna som han äger redan på gatan och hans fantasi av som är roterande kvarteret in i en trafikera-mindregalleria, som vi bearbetade, med coffee shop (cafes var krukaköpandet och att röka är lagliga), en la Amsterdam. ”Är detta vårt projekterar gatan. Det är en koppla ihop av kvarter som är långa med inte mycket att trafikera, så idén är till slutet som den besegrar under dagen. I Amsterdam är gator smala med mer bred trottoarer, motsatsen av saker här. ”

Förutom Oaksterdam U, som verkar att blomstra, äger Leestarted bulldoggcafen (som namnges efter en berömd samling av Amsterdam kaféer), och krukaväxa och utrustninglagret var det finns en spänna av kicken - tech bearbetar med maskin för danandepölsa, och kraftiga mikroskop för förhöjt ett toppet beskådar av skönheten av krukväxten -- i detta fall ”vitänka” som kristallerna i krukväxtgiven av en juvelnågot liknande glöder. Nära by är ett cannabiskrimskramslager med kyler hundratals, och mossiga krukatschockes, T-tröja och något liknande, snart att vara ett cannabismuseum (gilla den i Amsterdam, naturligtvis), Lee har också en glass blåsa studio och en annonsbyrå-- alla bättre som främjar hans omväxlande funktioner (e.g. Lee annonserar för Oaksterdam U. på konserter på Shorelineamfiteatern.) och slutligen, lappar la de motstånd, ett växande lager för kruka, med många dussintals härligt, och pungent gröna växter som blomstrar under det varma glödet av, växer tänder. Lee pekar proudly ut hans specialties däribland ”vitnoshörning” och ”caseyen jones”, -- vilka säljs på blåttSkycafen, hans medicinska krukaapotek, ett away kvarter.

Stunder som besöker blåttskyen, hör jag vittnesbörd från en kvinna som äger ett nästa lager för shoppa, som är ivrigt att dela hur hennes affär har fullvuxet med det nytt som finnas för att trafikera till apotek. Allt detta planläggs för att visa att cannabisaffären kan vara ett populärt och ansvarigaffären modellerar, som kan hjälpa för att omforma i stadens centrum Oakland, som fördriver att förbättra, kan bestämt använda mer av en ökning. Jag satt besegrar med Lee för att diskutera både det stort föreställer av krukan och förgiftar politik, as well as his erfar i Oakland som skapar en visionär, modellerar för den tänkande idérika cannabisen:

Universitetslärare Hazen: Gil Kerlikowske, Obamas ny drogtsar, sade begreppet av kriga mot droger -- kriga med vårt eget bemannar, att vi är på -- måste avsluta. Förvånades du av det?

Richard Lee: Den nr.- men I-funderare är det lätt till något att säga det; det är ett annat ting till faktiskt gör det. Så hopefully är det en första steg, en attitydförändring från mer av en `- polisrättsskipning som ska hjälpas' att att närma sig, som skulle är ett bra ting.

Det är likt vilka Ethan Nadleman (huvudet av drogpolitikalliansen) något att säga; viktig drogreform är likt roterande runt om en toppen tankfartyg…, .but peka är att den är starta att vända. Du förväntar inte det för att vända omkring på en dime; det finns lott till det. Från mitt perspektiv är det en kriga mellan droger, och det är drugismen -- vilket är, bemannar folket som är tänkande, som deras drog är bättre, än annat. Det är lik rasism -- det tänkande folket deras race är bättre än folkets race. Här diskriminerar folket baserat på deras vikt av primat. Den alkoholiserada suparefunderare är de bättre än cannabiskonsumenter.

Rättvis lik rasism avslutade inte med den 1964 medborgarrätten agerar, drugismen som ska för att inte avsluta med cannabislegalization. Vi har byggt upp en hel utveckling av hat och fördom. Du har snutar, som den stilla något att säga ”oss inte tror i medicinsk marijuana, oss att bry sig inte, hur många folket röstar för den, hur du ändrar lagarna; vi går att göra vad vi tror in,”, och när du ändrar det går att ta ganska en lång tid.

DH: Så är vad driftig ändringen? Är det, att påstår behovsintäkt, går där att vara mer få snutar, mindre folk i fängelse, folk önskar att sätta en våg i deras mexicanska karteller som gynnar från krukan som den är olaglig i, påstår?

RL: Mexico decriminalized precis krukan -- hörde du om det?

DH: Nr. egentligen.

RL: Yep. Den nya presidenten undertecknade det, och den Vicente räven (Quesada), före dettapresidenten, gick precis på massmediaordstävet som det är tid att se och debattera legalizing. Han är den som sätter den original- räkningen för att legalize lilla belopp två år sedan; och du minns avfyrastormen som händde med Bush. De hoppat allt besegrar deras halsar, och han sade, ”OH! DET är GALENSKAPEN! WHO SKULLE NÅGONSIN APPELL FÖR DENNA?!?! ”Denna tid, gick den nya räkningen precis rätt igenom; ingen muss, inget tjafs -- inget sade en uttrycka och ingen som debatterar det.

DH: Hur fungerar de mexicanska kartellerna i Förenta staterna? Växer de krukan här?

RL: Kartellen för funderare I är massmedia uttrycker för att göra det att låta mer läskig -- Kartellen är förment att vara en monopolistic organisation som kontrollerar slutsumman marknadsför av något; lik OPEC, att kontrollera prissätta av olja vid bita produktion som får alla dess' medlemmar för att förminska flödet av olja. Det finns ingenting något liknande som med denna affär. Det finns för många producenter, för många olika företag, så där är ingen kartell, först allra. Nu -- det kan finnas affärsfolk eller allt vad cannabisproducenter (dig appellen dem) som är mexicanskt anständigt växa här -- det är vad vi har sett i förflutnan kopplar ihop år, är de stora koloniodlarna i stället för hippies med en koppla ihop hundra växter; du har fått grabbar med tusentals… tio av tusentals.

DH: Men är det mestadels på deras egna land?

RL: Inget…, nr. -- det är delen av peka. Eventuellt en av resonerar dem gör det är här det efter 9/11, gränsar har säkerhet fått a bet lite mer tuff, och så, om de växer den här, måste de inte att oroa om att smuggla den across. Det är redan här.

DH: Man ifrågasätter mig ser inte diskuterat mycket, är skillnaden mellan legalization och decriminalizationen.

RL: ”Gör Decrim” inte egentligen något. Vi har haft decrim i vad, ett dussin påstår? ... inklusive Kalifornien efter 70-tal, som gör något liknande den hundra dollar boten för under ett uns, och det inte är en arrestable anstöt, gillar parkera etiketterar, eller rusa etiketterar -- det är vad decrim är. Det gör något för folket som inte får arresterat. Det är ett bra ting för dem. Men det gör inte något att handla med detmarknadsföra brott, därför att det inte tilltalar reor, odling…, något. Faktiskt var alkoholförbud ”decrim”. Visste du det? Alkohol var endast olaglig för att göras eller transporteras eller säljas -- du kunde äga alla som du önskade på ett personligt jämnar…, så ser din can alla av brott och våld -- Tommy Vapen-Al Capone, det kom med den ”decrim”. Det är varför någon, som är allvarlig om drogreform egentligen hatar decrim, därför att du kan se hur den kunde användas mot världsförbättrare -- då de något att säga, ”väl, oss decrimmed och därefter, fanns det stilla allt detta våld -- se? ”Gör det inte någon goda.

DH: Har du bekymmer som med legalization att korporationerna går att komma in och dominera marknadsföra med massiva belopp av att marknadsföra dollar?

RL: Det ska är den rättvisa något liknande winebranschen. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

alternet

Законный бак в California в 2010? «Oaksterdam» обеспечивает модель
Automatically translated into Russian thanks to WorldLingo
Дон Hazen, AlterNet:



Будет жужжание двигая через культуру, по мере того как общественные ориентации вокруг пользы cannabis быстро переносят, которая узаконение марихуаны в некоторых положениях, определенно California, будет возможность.

Недавний полинг Zogby в мае продемонстрировал что большинство американцов, говорит оно «делает чувство таксировать и отрегулировать» марихуану. Список избирателей Zogby, порученный консервативн-ориентированным отчетом о O'Leary, нашел 52 процента in favour of узаконение, только 37 процентов сопротивлялись. Как Отчет о Райан Grim столб Huffington , ранее весточка ABCВашингтон Пост список избирателей нашел 46 процентов в поддержке. В California, список избирателей поля нашел 56 процентов узаконения затыловки и в результате California Gov. Арнольд Шварценеггер вызвало для открытого debate на узаконении, всех которые предлагают что американское общество может достигать наклоняя пункт когда оно приходит к законному баку.

Блок новых обстоятельств -- Демократы в силе, хозяйственной рецессии оставляя положения голодая для дохода который смог прийти от таксировать сбывания cannabis, меньше фонды для обеспечения соблюдения законов и мексиканские механиков снадобья двигая в США для того чтобы вырасти огромное количество untaxed бака, способствуя к horrible югу расправы снадобья граници -- поддержите поддержку со стороны общественности для узаконения бака.

Элементом пыльника возможно нажимая изменения к нашим законам бака будет gaggle странных собратьев кровати outspoken на вопросе. Бывший секретарь положения Джордж Shultz и последний консервативный економист Мильтон Friedman для узаконения на леты. Но недавн Beck Glenn крайния реакционеры весточек лисицы самый последний консервативный и CNN очень более разумно Jack Cafferty общественно спрашивали потраченные миллиардыы each year воюющ бесконечное войну против снадобиь. Они соединяют хор предлагают он теперь делает более финансовохозяйственное и более социальное чувство таксировать и отрегулировать марихуану.

На epicenter законной беседы бака и стратегического политической акции Ричард Ли, высоки успешно антрепренер бака, который над прошлой декадой поворачивал зону зрелищности «uptown» городского Oakland, California в много вызывают Oaksterdam, игра на Amsterdam, их город сестры в Голландии. Centerpiece преобразования Oakland будет университетом Oaksterdam Ли основанное для того чтобы подготовить людей для работ в индустрии cannabis. По мере того как он сказал MSNBC, «мое основная мысль professionalize индустрия, и имеет ее принятая серьезно справедливая как пиво и дистиллируя трудное ликер.» Университет, вместе с half a dozen другие «дела cannabis,» после того как я проконтролирован Ли приносит тысячи визитеров к Oakland ежедневному.

Инициатива узаконения бака California

И это было Ричард Ли подняло брови среди много последняя неделя, включая некоторое в «установке реформы снадобья,» когда он объявил усилие квалифицировать для ballot California statewide в ноябре 2010, управление, регулирует и поступок 2010, первая главная statewide инициатива Cannabis тягла конструированная для того чтобы узаконить марихуану для личной пользы.

Ли и TaxCannabis2010.org, нов minted организация, котор он начал нажать инициативу, звоноки для узаконения малого количества марихуаны для личного владения взрослыми 21 и старой, и позволяет города и графства вариант регулируя сбываний и культивирования. Законное количество было бы 1 унция для личного владения, при культивирование позволенное в космосе не больш чем 5 футов 5 футами.

Ли чувствует очень сильно что tide поворачивал среди публики по мере того как списки избирателей показывают. «Это будет возможность наземного ориентира произведет интерес и фондирует общенародно,» он сказало. Если успешно, инициатива будет осмотрена как водораздел «первый шаг в изменять федеральный закон. »

Планы группы Ли для посылки инициативы к коричневому цвету attorney general Джерри California в июле для промаха сводки и названия требуемого законом. Сход подписи начнет в августе, при 650.000 подписей необходим, что к январь сделал ballot ноября 2010. Предположена эффективная политическая деятельность, с paid gatherers подписи, так же, как тысячи волонтеров.

Недавн я проводил утро в Oakland при Ли путешествуя блок средств составляют его сеть Oaksterdam, включая его владение 7 зданий в немного радиус блока. Фактом что Ли находится на центре действия узаконения не будет сярприз, котор дали его привод, страсти и очевидным искусствам дела. В действительности, оно уговаривает сказать после того как тратящ время с защитником и бизнесменом хлыста франтовскими политическими, что я видел будущим и это бака будут Ричард Ли и Oaksterdam.

Ли не будет точно словом домочадца в кругах политических и снадобья реформы. Но основано на его в настоящее время внимании средств -- включая Geraldo, MSNBC, и тонны статьей печати, он очень скоро будет персоной associated с узаконением бака в америке. Ли будет никаким «Джонни приходит-последн,» то. Над прошлой декадой, он принимал главные strides в строить империю дела cannabis в разделе зрелищности Oakland который вклюает новые адвокатские сословия, трактиры, сыпь кондо новыйа высший уровень курсов акций конструированных, популярный театр Paramount, и эффектную реновацию известного театра лисицы, которые кладут dormant на много лет. Ли пошутило что он услышал что когда Bothers Allman соединят после того как они сыграны в Oakland недавн, то лисица насладилось pungent запахом дыма бака, радушный знак для OBLASTи быть баком содружественным. Много из городского усилия роста приходит от начатых инициатив когда коричневым цветом Джерри, теперь attorney general и выбранным для воевода, был мэр.

Ли также имеет несколько политические успехи под его поясом. В действительности в next few неделях, избиратели Oakland будут голосовать на избрании в июле специальном почт-в ballot который вклюает измерение f, которое сделало бы их городом первое в нации для того чтобы установить новое размер налога для «дел cannabis.» Если измерение approved, то дела марихуаны Oakland медицинские, которые производят оцененный $20 миллионов однолетн в сбываниях - и теперь поручите на вообще размере налога $1.20 в $1.000 больших получений - увидели бы что тариф поднял до $18 в $1.000, увеличение 15 створок.

Согласовывать Карла Marinucci, сообщая для Хроника San Francisco, измерение было поддержано восторженно Ли и overseers других профилакториев марихуаны города медицинских как одно которое смогло способствовать больше чем $400.000 год к coffers города пока также дающ медицинским делам марихуаны все больше и больше mainstream профиль в крупном городе.

Другим успехом ballot было измерение z, которое прошло избирателями 64 до 36 Oakland в 2004. Измерение z дало Ли и много местный бак защищает некоторую серьезную проводя маневр комнату, пытая эффективно узаконить пользу марихуаны в городе. Больше чем 30.000 резидентов Oakland подписали ходатайства для того чтобы одеть в z ballot спросил, что полиции Oakland положили полностью другую преступную деятельность перед prosecution потребителей бака и спрошенных должностных лиц города для того чтобы защитить узаконение пользы марихуаны взрослого statewide.

Since then Ли очень многодельно. Перед сидеть для интервью Ли приняло меня на путешествии его terrain. Я почти должен сломать в trot для того чтобы keep up с множеством заволакивания кресло-коляскы Ли быстро проходя земли быстро. По мере того как мы оборудовали вниз с 15th улицы, он point out 3 здания, котор он уже имеет на улице и его фантазии поворачивать блок в мол движения-менее, с кофейнями (кафами где приобретение бака и курить законны) la Amsterdam. «Это будет нашей улицей проекта. Будет парой блоков длиной с не много движением поэтому идеей будет закрыть его вниз во время дня. В Amsterdam, улицы узки с более широкими sidewalks, противоположностью вещей здесь. «

Кроме Oaksterdam u, которое кажется, что thriving, Leestarted кафе бульдога (названное после известного собрания кофейнь Amsterdam), и имеет магазин расти и оборудования бака где будут ряд максимума - машины техника для делать хэш, и мощные микроскопы для супер увеличенного взгляда красотки завода бака -- in this case «белый widow» кристаллы в заводе бака give off jewel как зарево. Около мимо магазин новизны cannabis с сотниами холодных и corny tschockes бака, теннисок и cThe cLike, скоро быть музеем cannabis (как одно в Amsterdam, of course), Ли также имеет стеклянную дуя студию и рекламное бюро-- совсем лучшее для того чтобы повысить его varied деятельности (например. Ли рекламирует для Oaksterdam U. на согласиях на бечевнике Amphitheatre.) и окончательно, la часть de сопротивление, пакгауз бака, с много дюжин красивейших и pungent зеленых заводов thriving под теплым заревом растут света. Ли самолюбиво point out его специальности включая «белое rhino» и «casey jones» -- проданы на голубом кафе неба, его медицинский профилакторий бака, блок прочь.

Пока посещающ голубое небо, я слышу свидетельствование от женщины которая имеет магазин магазина следующий, который полн страстного желания делить как ее дело росло с новым найденным движением к профилакторию. Все из этого конструировано для того чтобы показать что дело cannabis может быть популярным и ответственная модель дела может помочь преобразовать городской Oakland, который пока улучшающ, может некоторо использовать больше из подталкивания. Я сидел вниз с Ли для того чтобы обсудить и большое изображение политики бака и снадобья, также, как его опыт в Oakland, создавая модель визионера для творческого cannabis думая:

Дон Hazen: Gil Kerlikowske, царь снадобья Obama новый, сказало принципиальную схему войны против снадобиь -- что мы на войне с нашими собственными людьми -- закончиться. Вы были удивлены тем?

Ричард Ли: Нет, но я думаем легко сказать его; будет другой вещью к фактическ делает ее. Настолько hopefully будет первым шагом, изменением ориентации от больше из обеспечения соблюдения законов полиций `, котор нужно помочь' причалить, который была бы хорошая вещь.

Оно как что Ethan Nadleman (головку союзничества политики снадобья) говорит; значительно реформа снадобья как поворачивать вокруг супер топливозаправщика… .but пункт что оно начинает повернуть. Вы не ожидаете его для того чтобы повернуть вокруг на dime; будет серии к ему. От моей перспективы будет войной между снадобьями, и это будет drugism -- , люди думая что их снадобье более лучшее чем другие люди. Оно как расизм -- люди думая их гонка более лучшие чем гонка людях. Здесь люди различают после того как они основаны на их веществе выбора. Спиртные потаторы думают они более лучшие чем едоки cannabis.

Справедливо как расизм не закончил с 1964 Законом о гражданских правах, drugism не закончит с узаконением cannabis. Мы build up все поколение ненависти и предубежденности. Вы имеете полисменов все еще говорят «мы не верим в медицинской марихуане, мы не заботим how many люди голосуют для ее, как вы изменяете законы; мы идем сделать мы верим внутри,» и изменять то идет принять довольно длиннее время.

DH: Так нажимает изменение? Оно что положения нужен доход, там идет быть немногим полисменам, меньше людям в тюрьме, людям хочет положить crimp в их мексиканские картели которые помогают от бака противозаконн в положениях?

RL: Мексика как раз decriminalized бак -- вы услышали о том?

DH: Нет, реально.

RL: Yep. Новый президент подписал его, и лисица Vicente (Quesada), ex президент, как раз пошла на средства говоря будет временем посмотреть и debate узаконивать. Он одним кладет оригинал векселя для того чтобы узаконить малое количество 2 лет тому назад; и вы вспоминаете шторм пожара случился с кустиком. Они все поскаканное вниз с их горл и его сказали, «OH! ТО будет CRAZINESS! WHO ВСЕГДА ВЫЗЫВАЛ БЫ ДЛЯ ЭТОГО?!?! «Это время, новый счет как раз пошел справедливо до конца; отсутствие muss, отсутствие возни -- никто сказало слово и никто debating оно.

DH: Как мексиканские картели работают в Соединенных Штатах? Они растут бак здесь?

RL: Я думаю картель будет словом средств для того чтобы сделать им звук scarier -- Предположены, что будет картель монопольной организацией контролирует полный рынок что-то; как OPEC, контролировать цену масла путем резать продукцию, получая, что все свои' члены уменьшить подачу масла. Ничего как то с этим делом. Будут too many производителей, too many по-разному компаний, настолько там будет никакой картель, первым делом из. Теперь -- может быть люди дела или производители cannabis (вы вызываете ими) мексиканский пристойный здесь расти -- то мы видели в прошлых летах пар, будет большими growers плантации вместо hippies с парой 100 заводов; вы получаете ванты с 10 тысяч… тысяч.

DH: Но то главным образом на их собственной земле?

RL: Никак… нет -- то будет часть пункта. По возможности одна из причин, котор они делают ее здесь то после 9/11, граници обеспеченностью получали немного более грубыми, и так если они растут оно здесь, то, они не должны потревожиться о контрабанде она поперек. Оно уже здесь.

DH: Один вопрос, котор я не вижу после того как я обсужен very much, буду разницей между узаконением и decriminalization.

RL: «Decrim» реально не делает что-нибыдь. Мы имели decrim в, положения дюжину? ... включая California с 1970's, который делает как штраф 100 долларов для под унции и не будет arrestable обидой, как билет стоянкы автомобилей или быстро проходя билет -- то decrim. Оно делает что-то для людей не получают арестованными. Будет хорошей вещью для их. Но оно не делает что-нибыдь общаться с злодеянием потому что оно не адресует сбывания, культивированием черн-рынка… что-нибыдь. Фактически, запрещением спирта было «decrim». Вы знали то? Спирт был только противозакон быть сделанным или транспортированным или проданным -- вы смогли обладать всеми, котор вы хотели на личном уровне… так ваша чонсервная банка видит все злодеяние и расправу -- Пушк-Al Capone Томми, то пришел с тем «decrim». То почему любое серьезно о реформе снадобья реально ненавидит decrim, потому что вы можете увидеть как они смогли быть использованы против reformers -- когда они скажут, «наилучшим образом, мы decrimmed и после этого были все еще весь из этого расправы -- см.? «Оно не делает NIKAKое хорош.

DH: Вы имеете тревожитесь то с узаконением что корпорации идут прийти внутри и преобладать рынок с массивнейшим количеством долларов маркетинга?

RL: Оно будет справедливо как винодельческая промышленность. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

alternet

Wettelijke Pot in Californië in 2010? „Oaksterdam“ verstrekt het Model
Automatically translated into Dutch thanks to WorldLingo
Door trek Hazen aan, AlterNet:



Er is een gezoem dat zich door de cultuur beweegt, aangezien de openbare houdingen rond cannabis snel verschuiven gebruiken, dat de legalisatie van marihuana in sommige staten, in het bijzonder Californië, een groeiende mogelijkheid is.

De recente opiniepeiling door Zogby in Mei toonde aan dat een meerderheid van Amerikanen, het „aan belasting steek houdt zegt en“ marihuana regelt. De opiniepeiling Zogby, die bij conservatief-georiënteerd Rapport O'Leary wordt opgedragen, vond 52 percenten ten gunste van legalisatie, slechts 37 tegengestelde percenten. Zoals De Onverbiddelijke rapporten van Ryan over de Post Huffington , Nieuws een vorig ABCWashinton Post de opiniepeiling vond 46 percenten in steun. In Californië, vond een Opiniepeiling van het Gebied 56 percenten steunende legalisatie en dientengevolge Regering van Californië Arnold Schwarzenegger verzocht een open debat bij de legalisatie, allen die voorstellen dat de Amerikaanse maatschappij een tippend punt kan bereiken wanneer het over wettelijke pot komt.

Een serie van nieuwe omstandigheden -- De democraten in macht, het economische recessie weggaan verklaart het verhongeren voor opbrengst die kon uit het belasten van cannabisverkoop, minder fondsen voor wetshandhaving en Mexicaanse drugarbeiders komen die zich in de V.S. bewegen reusachtige hoeveelheden te kweken die onbelaste pot, tot het afschuwelijke Zuiden van het druggeweld van de Grens bijdragen -- steun de groeiende openbare steun voor legalisatie van pot.

Anther het element dat misschien veranderingen in onze pottenwetten is duwt gaggle van vreemde bedkameraden die op de kwestie openhartig zijn. De vroegere Staatssecretaris George Shultz en de recente conservatieve econoom Milton Friedman zijn voor legalisatie jarenlang geweest. Maar onlangs Wenk van de mensenGlenn van het Nieuws van de Vos hebben de recentste conservatieve wilde en redelijkere Jack Cafferty van CNN openbaar miljarden besteed elk jaar vechtend de eindeloze oorlog tegen drugs gevraagd. Zij sluiten zich aan bij groeiende chorus die het nu financiëlere en sociale aan belasting steek houdt voorstellen en marihuana regelen.

Bij het epicentrum van wettelijke pottenbespreking en strategisch is de politieke actie Richard Lee, een hoogst succesvolle pottenondernemer, die tijdens het afgelopen decennium het gebied van het „uptown“ vermaak van Oakland van de binnenstad, Californië heeft gedraaid in wat velen Oaksterdam, een spel op Amsterdam, hun zusterstad in Holland roepen. Een belangrijkst voorwerp van de transformatie van Oakland is Universiteit Oaksterdam die Lee oprichtte om mensen voor banen in de cannabisindustrie voor te bereiden. Aangezien hij MSNBC vertelde, „mijn basisidee is professionalize de industrie, en heeft het ernstig genomen enkel als bier en distillerende harde alcoholische drank.“ De universiteit, samen met een half dozijn andere „cannabisondernemingen,“ gecontroleerd door Lee brengt duizenden dagelijks bezoekers aan Oakland.

Het Initiatief van de Legalisatie van de Pot van Californië

En het was Richard Lee die wenkbrauwen vorige week onder velen, met inbegrip van wat in de „onderneming van de drughervorming,“ toen hij een inspanning om voor de stemming over de gehele staat van Californië in November 2010 aankondigde te kwalificeren ophief, legalize de Controle, regelen en het Akte van de Cannabis van de Belasting van 2010, het eerste belangrijkste ontworpen initiatief over de gehele staat marihuana voor persoonlijk gebruik.

Lee en TaxCannabis2010.org, minted onlangs organisatie die hij is begonnen om het initiatief te duwen verzocht, de legalisatie van kleine hoeveelheden marihuana voor persoonlijk bezit door volwassenen 21 en ouder, en steden en provincies de optie toestaat om verkoop en cultuur te regelen. Het wettelijke bedrag zou 1 ons voor persoonlijk bezit zijn, met cultuur toegestaan in een ruimte neen groter dan 5 voet door 5 voet.

Lee is zeer sterk van mening dat het getijde onder het publiek heeft gedraaid zoals de opiniepeilingen wijzen op. „Dit zal een oriëntatiepuntkans die rente zal produceren en nationaal financiert,“ hij zei zijn. Als succesvol, zal het initiatief als keerpunt een „eerste stap in veranderende federale wet worden bekeken. De“

groep van luwtes is van plan om het initiatief naar de Procureur Algemene Jerry Brown te verzenden van Californië in Juli voor de samenvatting en titelonoplettendheid die door wet wordt vereist. Het verzamelen zich van de handtekening zal in Augustus beginnen, met 650.000 handtekeningen die tegen Januari worden vereist de stemming van November te maken 2010. Een efficiënte politieke verrichting, met betaalde handtekeningsgatherers, evenals duizenden vrijwilligers worden verwacht.

Onlangs bracht ik een ochtend in Oakland met Lee door die de serie van faciliteiten reist die omhoog zijn netwerk Oaksterdam, met inbegrip van zijn eigendom van zeven gebouwen in een paar blokstraal maken. Het feit dat Lee op het centrum van de legalisatieactie is is geen verrassing, gezien zijn aandrijving, hartstocht en duidelijke bedrijfsvaardigheden. In feite, is het verleidend om te zeggen nadat de bestedende tijd met slimme politieke verdediger en zakenman ranselt, dat heb ik de pottentoekomst gezien en het is Richard Lee en Oaksterdam.

Lee is precies geen huishoudenwoord in de cirkels van de politieke en drughervorming. Maar gebaseerd op zijn huidige media aandacht -- met inbegrip van Geraldo, MSNBC, en ton drukartikelen, zal hij zeer spoedig de persoon zijn die met pottenlegalisatie wordt geassoci�ërd in Amerika. Lee is komen-onlangs geen „Johnny,“ ook niet. Tijdens het afgelopen decennium, heeft hij belangrijke passen in de bouw van een cannabis bedrijfsimperium in de vermaaksectie van Oakland genomen die nieuwe staven, restaurants, een uitbarsting van nieuwe hoogst ontworpen condos, het populaire Theater van Paramount, en de spectaculaire vernieuwing van het beroemde Theater van de Vos omvat, die sluimerend vele jaren leggen. Lee gekscheerde dat hij dat toen de Band van Lasten Allman onlangs in Oakland speelde, dat de Vos van de scherpe geur van pottenrook genoot, welkom teken voor het gebied vriendschappelijke pot hoorde zijn. Veel van de de groeiinspanning van de binnenstad komt uit begonnen met initiatieven toen Jerry Brown, nu Algemene Procureur en kandidaat voor gouverneur, Burgemeester was.

Lee heeft ook een aantal politieke successen onder zijn riem. In feite in de volgende weken, zullen de kiezers van Oakland stemmen over een speciale verkiezing van Juli post-in stemming die Maatregel F omvat, die hun stad eerste in de natie zou maken om een nieuw belastingstarief voor „cannabisondernemingen te vestigen.“ Als de maatregel wordt goedgekeurd, zouden de medische de marihuanaondernemingen van Oakland, die jaarlijks een geschatte $20 miljoen in verkoop produceren - en nu worden geladen naar rato van algemene belastings$1.20 per $1.000 brutoontvangstbewijzen - zien dat het tarief aan $18 per $1.000, een 15 vouwenverhoging ophief.

Het overeenstemmen van Carla Marinucci, die voor rapporteert San Francisco stelt te boek, werd de maatregel gesteund enthousiast door Lee en overseers van andere apotheken van de stads medische marihuana als die meer dan $400.000 per jaar tot stadskoffers kon bijdragen terwijl meer en meer ook het geven van de medische marihuanaondernemingen een heersende stromingsprofiel in een belangrijke stad.

Een ander stemmingssucces is Maatregel Z geweest, die door kiezers van Oakland 64 - 36 in 2004 overging. De maatregel Z gaf Lee en velen lokale pot bepleiten één of andere ernstige het manoeuvreren ruimte, proberend legalize effectief marihuanagebruik in de stad. Meer dan 30.000 ingezetenen van Oakland ondertekenden petitierecht om Z op de stemming te zetten die de Politie van Oakland vroeg om al andere misdadige activiteit vóór de vervolging van pottengebruikers te zetten en stadsambtenaren verzocht om legalisatie van volwassen marihuanagebruik over de hele staat te bepleiten.

Sindsdien is Lee zeer bezig geweest. Voorafgaand aan het zitten voor een gesprek nam Lee me op een reis van zijn terrein. Ik moest bijna in omhoog trot breken met de verzendende rolstoel die van Luwtes te houden heel wat grond snel behandelt. Aangezien wij onderaan 15de straat bewerkten, wees hij op de drie gebouwen die hij reeds op de straat en zijn fantasie van het veranderen van het blok in a heeft bezeten verkeer-minder wandelgalerij, met koffiewinkels (koffie waar en pot die) koopt de rookt wettelijk is La Amsterdam. „Dit is onze Straat van het Project. Het is een paar blokken lang met niet veel verkeer zodat het idee is het tijdens de dag te sluiten. In Amsterdam, zijn de straten smal met bredere hier sidewalks, het tegengestelde van dingen. „

Naast U Oaksterdam, dat schijnt te bloeien, bezit Leestarted de Koffie van de Buldog (die na een beroemde inzameling van coffeehouses van Amsterdam wordt genoemd), en een van het potten het groeien en materiaal opslag waar er een waaier van hoogte - technologiemachines om knoeiboel te maken, en krachtige microscopen voor een super verbeterde mening van de schoonheid van de potteninstallatie zijn -- in dit geval de „witte weduwe“ wat de kristallen in de pot planten verspreidt een juweel zoals gloed. Dichtbij langs is een opslag van de cannabisnieuwigheid met honderden koele en cornypot tschockes, T-shirts en dergelijke, een cannabismuseum (als in Amsterdam, natuurlijk) te zijn, Lee heeft spoedig ook een glas blazende studio en een reclamebureau-- al beter om zijn gevari�ërde verrichtingen te bevorderen (b.v. Lee adverteert voor Oaksterdam U. bij overleg bij de Oever Amphitheatre.) en tenslotte, kweken La piece DE resistance, een pot het groeien pakhuis, met vele dozens mooie en scherpe groene installaties die onder de warme gloed bloeien van lichten. Lee wijst trots op zijn specialiteiten met inbegrip van „witte rinoceros“ en „casey jones“ -- welke bij de Blauwe Koffie van de Hemel worden verkocht, zijn medische pottenapotheek, een blok weg.

Terwijl het bezoeken van de Blauwe Hemel, hoor ik verklaring van een vrouw die een winkel volgende opslag bezit, die enthousiast is om te delen hoe haar zaken met het pas ontdekte verkeer aan de apotheek zijn gegroeid. Elk van dit wordt ontworpen om aan te tonen dat de cannabiszaken een populair en verantwoordelijk bedrijfsmodel kunnen zijn dat kan helpen Oakland van de binnenstad omzetten, dat terwijl het verbeteren, meer van een verhoging kan zeker gebruiken. Ik ging zitten met Lee om zowel het grote beeld van pot als drugpolitiek te bespreken, evenals zijn ervaring die in Oakland, tot een onrealistisch model voor creatieve cannabis leidt denkend:

Trek Hazen aan: Gil Kerlikowske, de nieuwe czar drug van Obama, zei het concept de oorlog tegen drugs -- dat wij bij oorlog met onze eigen mensen zijn -- moet beëindigen. Werd u verrast door dat?

Richard Lee: Nr, maar ik denk het gemakkelijk is om het te zeggen; het is een ander ding aan eigenlijk doet het. Zo hopelijk het een eerste stap, een verandering van houding van meer van een handhaving van de `- politiewet is' helpen naderbij komen, die een goede zaak zou zijn.

Het is als wat Ethan Nadleman (hoofd van de Alliantie van het Beleid van de Drug) zegt; de significante drughervorming is als het draaien rond een super tanker… .but het punt is dat het begint te draaien. U verwacht het niet om zich op dime om te draaien; er zijn partijen aan het. Vanuit mijn perspectief is het een oorlog tussen drugs, en het is drugism -- welke is, mensen denken die dat hun drug beter is dan andere volkeren. Het is als racisme -- de mensen die hun race denken zijn beter dan het ras van andere mensen. Hier onderscheiden de mensen gebaseerd op hun substantie van keus. De alcoholische drinkers denken zij beter zijn dan cannabisconsumenten.

Enkel als racisme beëindigde niet met het Akte van de Burgerrechten van 1964, zal drugism niet met cannabislegalisatie beëindigen. Wij hebben een gehele generatie van haat en nadeel opgebouwd. U hebt cops die nog zeggen „wij niet in medische marihuana geloven, geven wij hoeveel niet mensen voor het stemmen, hoe u de wetten verandert; wij gaan doen wat geloven wij in,“ en veranderend dat oud gaat vrij nemen.

DH: Zo wat duwt de verandering? Is het dat de staten opbrengst nodig hebben, zijn willen er het gaan minder cops zijn, minder mensen in gevangenis, mensen een golfplaat in hun Mexicaanse zetten Kartels die van pot profiteren die in de Staten onwettig is?

RL: Mexico decriminalized enkel pot -- hoorde u over dat?

DH: Nr, werkelijk.

RL: Yep. De nieuwe Voorzitter ondertekende het, en Vicente Fox (Quesada), de ex voorzitter, ging enkel op de media zeggend het tijd om te bekijken en debat het legalizing is. Hij is die de originele rekening aan legalize kleine bedragen twee jaar geleden zet; en u herinnert het brandonweer dat met Bush gebeurde. Zij allen sprongen onderaan hun kelen en hij zei, „OH! DAT is GEKHEID! DE WGO ZOU OOIT DIT?!? VRAGEN! „Dit keer, ging de nieuwe rekening enkel net door; geen muss, geen drukte -- niemand zei een woord en niemand die het debatteert.

DH: Hoe werken de Mexicaanse Kartels in de Verenigde Staten? Hier kweken zij pot?

RL: Ik denk het kartel een media woord is om tot het enger geluid te maken -- Het kartel is verondersteld om een monopolistische organisatie te zijn die de totale markt van iets controleert; als de OPEC, om de prijs die van olie door knipselproductie te controleren, al zijn' leden ertoe brengt om de stroom van olie te verminderen. Er zijn niets als dat met deze zaken. Er zijn teveel producenten, teveel verschillende bedrijven, zodat is er geen kartel, eerst en vooral. Nu -- er kunnen bedrijfsmensen of cannabisproducenten zijn (wat u hen) roept die het Mexicaanse fatsoenlijke hier groeien zijn -- dat is wat hebben gezien wij in het verleden de paarjaren, is de grote aanplantingskwekers in plaats van hippies met een paar honderd installaties; u hebt kerels met duizenden… tientallen duizenden.

DH: Maar is dat meestal op hun eigen land?

RL: Geen… nr -- dat maakt deel uit van het punt. Misschien één van de redenen doen zij het hier zijn dat na 9/11, de veiligheidsgrenzen een klein beetje taaier hebben gekregen, en zo als zij het hier kweken, moeten zij niet zich over overdwars het smokkelen van het ongerust maken. Het is reeds hier.

DH: Één vraag die ik niet zeer besproken zie, is het verschil tussen legalisatie en decriminalization.

RL: „Decrim“ doet werkelijk om het even wat niet. Wij hebben decrim gehad in wat, dozijn staten? ... met inbegrip van Californië sinds de jaren '70, dat als honderd dollarsboete voor onder een ons maakt en het geen arrestabele inbreuk, zoals een parkerenkaartje of een verzendend kaartje is -- dat is wat decrim is. Het doet iets voor de mensen die niet gearresteerd worden. Het is een goede zaak voor hen. Maar het doet om het even wat niet de zwart-marktmisdaad behandelen omdat het geen verkoop, cultuur… richt om het even wat. Eigenlijk, was het alcoholverbod „decrim“. Kende u dat? De alcohol was slechts onwettig om worden gemaakt of worden vervoerd of worden verkocht -- u kon allen bezitten u op een persoonlijk niveau… wilde uw zo kan alle misdaad en geweld zien -- Tommy Gun-Al Capone, die met dat „decrim“ kwam. Dat is waarom iedereen wie werkelijk over drughervorming ernstig is decrim haat, omdat u kunt zien hoe het tegen hervormers zou kunnen worden gebruikt -- wanneer zij zeggen, „goed, decrimmed wij en toen was er nog elk van dit geweld -- zie? „Het doet geen goed.

DH: Hebt u zorgen die met legalisatie dat de bedrijven binnen gaan komen en de markt met massieve hoeveelheden overheersen marketing van dollars?

RL: Het zal enkel als de wijnindustrie zijn. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

alternet

جائز إناء في كاليفورنيا في 2010? "يزوّد [وأكستردم]" النموذج
Automatically translated into Arabic thanks to WorldLingo
ب اتّخذ شكل [هزن], [ألترنت]:



هناك عمليّة طنين يتحرّك من خلال الثقافة, بما أنّ المواقف عامّة حول حشيش إستعمال يكون بسرعة يغيّرون, أنّ القنونة القنّب هنديّ في بعض دول, بشكل خاصّ كاليفورنيا, ينمو إمكانية.

عرض إقتراع أخيرة ب [زوغبي] في شهر ماي أنّ أغلبية الأمريكيات, يقول هو "يجعل إحساس أن يفرض ونظّمت" قنّب هنديّ. [زوغبي] أسّس عمليّة تصويت, ينتدب ب ال [كنسرفتيف-ورينتد] [أ'لري] تقرير, 52 نسبة مئويّة [إين ففوور وف] قنونة, إلاّ أنّ 37 نسبة مئويّة تعارض. بما أنّ [رن] تقارير مقيتة على [هوفّينغتون] موقعة , سابقة حروف [نوس/]واشنطن موقعة عمليّة تصويت أسّس 46 نسبة مئويّة في دعم. في كاليفورنيا, مجال أسّس عمليّة تصويت 56 نسبة مئويّة ظهارة قنونة و [أس ا رسولت] كاليفورنيا [غف.] دعا أرنولد [سكهورزنغّر] لمناقشة مفتوحة على قنونة, كلّ أيّ يقترح أنّ مجتمعة أمريكيّة يمكن كنت بلغت يميل نقطة عندما هو يأتي إلى جائز إناء.

صف من ظروف جديدة -- ديموقراتيات في قوة, فترة ركود اقتصاديّة يترك دول يجوع لإيراد أنّ استطاع أتيت من يفرض حشيش عمليّة بيع, أقلّ أموال ل [لو نفورسمنت] ومكسيكيّة عقار عميلات يتحرّك داخل ال [أوس] أن ينمو مبلغات ضخمة من إناء [أونتإكسد], يسهم إلى الرهيبة عقار عنف جنوب من الحافة -- ساندت ال ينمو دعم عامّة لقنونة الإناء.

مئبر عنصر ربّما يدفع تغيرات إلى نا إناء قانون المجموعة من غريبة سرير رفيقات الذي يكون صريحة على الإصدار. قد كان وزير الدولة سابقة جورج شولتز والإقتصادية متأخّرة محافظة [ميلتون] [فريدمن] لقنونة لسنون. غير أنّ مؤخّرا ثعلب أخبار متأخّرة محافظة وحشيّة رجل [غلنّ] يستنطق إشارة وشبكة سي. إن. إن كثير أكثر [جك] معقولة [كفّرتي] يتلقّى علنا البليون ينفق [إش ر] يتنازع الحرب لانهائيّة ضدّ عقارات. هم يتلاقون ال ينمو جوقة أنّ يقترح يجعل هو الآن أكثر ماليّة وإحساس اجتماعيّة أن يفرض ونظّمت قنّب هنديّ.

في المركز الزلزال السطحيّ من جائز إناء محادثة واستراتيجيّة [بوليتيكل كأيشن] ريتشارد مآوي, ناجحة إناء متعهدة جدّا, الذي على العقد سابقة قد التفت ال "[أوبتوون]" ترفيه منطقة من أوكلاند في وسط المدينة, كاليفورنيا داخل ماذا كثير يدعو [وأكستردم], لعبة على أمستردام, [سستر ستي] هم في هولندا. جزء أساسيّ من أوكلاند تحويل [وأكستردم] جامعة أيّ مآوي يؤسّس أن يعدّ الناس لأشغال في الحشيش صناعة. بما أنّ هو قال [مسنبك], "[بسك يدا] ي أن [بروفسّيونليز] الصناعة, ويتلقّى هو يؤخذ بجدّيّة صحيحة مثل جعة ويقطر يستعصي شراب." يحضر الجامعة, مع [هلف ا دوزن] أخرى "حشيش أعمال," يضبط ب [ل] آلاف الزائرات إلى أوكلاند يوميّة.

كاليفورنيا إناء قنونة مبادرة

وكان هو ريتشارد مآوي الذي رفع حواجب بين كثير أسبوع متأخّرة, بما في ذلك بعض في ال "عقار إصلاح إقامة," عندما هو أعلن جهد أن ينعت لكاليفورنيا اقتراع سرّيّ في جميع الولايات المتّحدة الأمريكيّة في نوفمبر - تشرين الثّاني من 2010, التحكم, ينظّم وضريبة حشيش عمل من 2010, المبادرة أولى كبريات في جميع الولايات المتّحدة الأمريكيّة يصمّم أن يشرّع قنّب هنديّ لإستعمال شخصيّة.

مآوي و TaxCannabis2010.orgسكّ, ال حديثا تنظيم هو بدأ أن يدفع المبادرة, دعوات لالقنونة ال [سملّ موونت] القنّب هنديّ لامتلاك شخصيّة ببالغ 21 وقديمة, ويسمح مدائن وأقاليم الخيار من ينظّم عمليّة بيع وزراعة. ال جائز كان مبلغة 1 أونصة لامتلاك شخصيّة, مع زراعة يسمح في فراغ لا [لرجر] من 5 أقدام ب 5 أقدام.

مآوي يشعرون جدّا بقوّة أنّ قد التفت المدّ و جزر بين الجمهور بما أنّ العمليّة تصويت يشيرون. "سيكون هذا معلمة فرصة أنّ سيلد فائدة ويموّل [نأيشنويد]," هو قال. إن ناجحة, سيشاهد المبادرة كنت كحوض "خطوة أولى في يغيّر قانون فيديراليّة. "

مآوي مجموعة خطط أن يرسل المبادرة إلى كاليفورنيا [أتّورني جنرل] بني [جرّي] في يوليو-تمّوز للخلاصة وعنوان سهو يتطلّب بقانون. توقيع سيبدأ تجميع في أغسطس - آب, مع 650,000 تواقيع يتطلّب بيناير - كانون الثّاني أن يجعل نوفمبر - تشرين الثّاني 2010 اقتراع سرّيّ. توقّعت عملية فعّالة سياسيّة, مع بمقابل توقيع [غثرر], [أس ولّ س] آلاف المتطوعات.

مؤخّرا أنفق أنا صباح في أوكلاند مع مآوي يجول الصف التسهيلات أنّ يصطلح ه [وأكستردم] شبكة, بما في ذلك ملكيته من سبعة بنايات في [ا فو] قالب شعاع. ليس الحقيقة أنّ مآوي في المركز من القنونة عمل مفاجأة, يعطى خاصّتي إدارة وحدة دفع, عاطفة وواضحة عمل مهارات. [إين فكت], يغري هو أن يقول عقب ينفق وقت مع السوط ذكيّة سياسيّة محامية ورجل أعمال, أنّ أنا قد رأيت الإناء مستقبل وهو ريتشارد مآوي و [وأكستردم].

مآوي ليسوا تماما [هووسهولد وورد] في سياسيّة وعقار إصلاح دوائر. غير أنّ يؤسّس على ه حاليّة أوساط إنتباه -- بما في ذلك [جرلدو], [مسنبك], وأطنان من طبعة مواد, سيكون هو جدّا قريبا الشخص أكثر موحّدة مع إناء قنونة في أمريكا. مآوي ما من "[جوهنّي] [كم-لتلي]," أحد. على العقد سابقة, قد أخذ هو خطوات كبريات في يبني حشيش عمل إمبراطورية في الترفيه قسم أوكلاند أيّ يتضمّن قضبان جديدة, مطاعم, طفح جلديّ من جديدة جدّا يصمد [كندوس], الشعبيّة باراماونت ساحة, والتجديد مثيرة من المشهورة ثعلب مسرح, أيّ يكذب مسبتة ل كثير سنون. مآوي داعبوا أنّ سمع هو أنّ عندما [ألّمن] انزعاجات يعصبون يلعب في أوكلاند مؤخّرا, أنّ الثعلب استمتع الرائحة حادّة من إناء دخان, إشارة مرحّبة للمنطقة أن يكون إناء ودّيّة. يأتي كثير من الفي وسط المدينة حالة نموّ جهد من مبادرات يبدأ عندما بني [جرّي], الآن [أتّورني جنرل] ومرشح لحاكمة, كان محافظة.

يتلقّى مآوي أيضا [ا نومبر وف] نجاحات سياسيّة تحت حزام سيره. [إين فكت] في الأسابيع قادمة, أوكلاند سيقترع مقترعات كنت على يوليو-تمّوز إنتخاب خاصّة [ميل-ين] اقتراع سرّيّ أنّ يتضمّن إجراء [ف], أيّ جعل مدينتهم الأولى في الأمة أن يؤسّس [تإكس رت] جديدة ل "حشيش أعمال." حمّلت إن الإجراء يكون مستحسنة, أوكلاند طبيّة قنّب هنديّ أعمال, أيّ يلد يقدّم $20 مليون سنويّا في عمليّة بيع - والآن في ال [تإكس رت] عامّة من $1.20 لكلّ $1,000 [غروسّ رسيبت] - رأوا أنّ معدل رفع إلى $18 لكلّ $1,000, 15 ثني زيادة.

يوافق [كرلا] [مرينوكّي], يفيد ل ال [سن فرنسسك] تاريخ سير, ساندت الإجراء كان [إنثوسستيكلّي] ب [ل] ومراقبات من أخرى مدينة طبيّة قنّب هنديّ مستوصفات كواحدة أنّ استطاع أسهمت أكثر من $400,000 [ا] سنة إلى مدينة صندوق حديديّ بينما أيضا يعطي الطبيّة قنّب هنديّ أعمال قطاع جانبيّ سائدة بدرجة متزايدة في مدينة كبريات.

آخر اقتراع سرّيّ قد كان نجاح إجراء [ز], أيّ مرّ بأوكلاند مقترعات 64 - 36 في 2004. أعطى إجراء [ز] مآوي وكثير إناء محلّية يدافع بعض جدّيّة يناور غرفة, يحاول أن بشكل فعّال شرّعت قنّب هنديّ إستعمال في المدينة. أكثر من 30,000 أوكلاند وقع مقيمات عرائض أن يضع [ز] على الاقتراع سرّيّ أيّ سأل أوكلاند شرطة أن يضع كلّ أخرى نشاط إجراميّة قبل المقاضاة من إناء مستعملات ويرجى مدينة مسؤولات أن يدافع قنونة من بالغ قنّب هنديّ إستعمال في جميع الولايات المتّحدة الأمريكيّة.

[سنس ثن] قد كان مآوي جدّا مشغولة. قبل يجلس لمقابلة أخذني مآوي على رحلة من أرضه. أنا تقريبا اضطرّ كسرت داخل حالة خبب أن يتمادى مع مآوي يسرع كرسيّ ذو عجلات غطاء [ا لوت] الأرض سريعا. بما أنّ نحن صنعنا نزولا إلى [15ث] شارع, أشار هو الثلاثة بنايات هو سابقا يمتلك على الشارع وتصوره من يلتفت القالب داخل [ترفّيك-لسّ] مركز تجاريّ, مع قهوة متاجر (مقاهي حيث إناء إشتراء ويدخّن يكون جائز) لا أمستردام. "هذا نا مشروع شارع. هو زوج القوالب طويلة مع لا كثير حركة مرور لذلك الفكرة أن يغلق هو إلى أسفل أثناء اليوم. في أمستردام, شوارع ضيّقة مع يوسع أرصفة, الضد الأشياء هنا. "

فضلا عن [وأكستردم] [أو], أيّ يظهر أن يكون تناميت, يمتلك [ليسترتد] البلدغ مقهى (يعيّن بعد تجميع مشهورة من أمستردام مقاهي), وإناء ينمو وتجهيز مخزن حيث هناك يكون مدى من آلات ذو تكنولوجيا عالية ل يجعل مزيج, ومجاهر قوّيّة لفائقة يحسن منظرة من الجمال من الإناء معمل -- [إين ثيس كس] "أرملة بيضاء" أيّ البلورات في الإناء معمل [جف وفّ] جوهرة مثل توهج. قرب جانبا حشيش جديد مخزن مع مئات من باردة وحنطيّة إناء [تسكهوكس], [ت-شيرتس] و [ث.ليك], قريبا أن يكون حشيش متحف (مثل الواحدة في أمستردام, [أف كورس]), مآوي أيضا يتلقّى زجاجيّة يفجّر إستوديو و[أدفرتيز جنسي]-- [ألّ ث] جيّدة أن يروّج عملياته متنوّعة ([إ.غ.]. مآوي يعلنون ل [وأكستردم] [أو.]. في حفل موسيقيّ في ال [شورلين] [أمفيثتر].) وأخيرا, ينمو [لا] [بيس] [د] [رسستنس], إناء ينمو مستودع, مع كثير دزينات من جميلة و [غرين بلنت] حادّة يتنامى تحت التوهج دافئة من أضواء. يشير مآوي باعتزاز تخصصاته بما في ذلك "[رهينو] بيضاء" و" [كسي] جونس" -- أيّ يكون بعت في ال [بلو سكي] مقهى, ه طبيّة إناء مستوصف, قالب بعيدا.

بينما يزور ال [بلو سكي], يسمع أنا شهادة من إمرأة الذي يمتلك متجر مخزن تالية, الذي يكون توّاقة أن يشارك كيف عمله قد نما مع الجديدة يؤسّس حركة مرور إلى المستوصف. صمّمت كلّ من هذا أن يبدي أنّ حشيش عمل يستطيع كنت شعبيّة ومسؤولة عمل نموذج أنّ يستطيع ساعدت غيّرت أوكلاند في وسط المدينة, أيّ بينما يحسن, يستطيع بالتّأكيد استعملت أكثر من ضغط معزّز. أنا جلست إلى أسفل مع مآوي أن يتناقش على حدّ سواء الصورة كبيرة من إناء وعقار سياسة, [أس ولّ س] خبرته في أوكلاند, يخلق نموذج ذو رؤية مستقبليّة لمبتكرة حشيش يفكّر:

اتّخذ شكل [هزن]: قال [جل] [كرليكووسك], [أبما] جديدة عقار قيصر, المفهوم من الحرب ضدّ عقارات -- أنّ نحن في حرب مع نا خاصّة الناس -- ينبغي أنهيت. كان أنت فاجأت ب أنّ?

ريتشارد مآوي: يفكّر رفض, غير أنّ أنا هو يتيح أن يقول هو; هو آخر شيء إلى واقعيّا يتمّ هو. هكذا بكل أمل هو خطوة أولى, تغير الموقف من أكثر من `شرطة [لو نفورسمنت] أن يساعد' قاربت, أيّ كان شيء جيّدة.

هو مثل ما [إثن] [ندلمن] (رأس من العقار سياسة تحالف) يقول; هامّة عقار إصلاح مثل يلتفت حول ناقلة نفط فائقة… [.بوت] النقطة أنّ يبدأ هو أن يلتفت. أنت لا تتوقّع هو أن يلتفت حوالي على ملّيم; هناك حصص إلى هو. من منظورتي هو حرب بين عقارات, وهو [دروجسم] -- أيّ يكون, الناس يفكّر أنّ عقارهم جيّدة من أخرى [بيوبلس]. هو مثل عنصرية -- الناس يفكّر جنسهم جيّدة من أخرى الناس جنس. هنا يميّز الناس يؤسّس على مادتهم الإختبار. يفكّر الشوارب كحوليّة هم جيّدة من حشيش مستهلكات.

لم ينه صحيحة مثل عنصرية مع ال 1964 [سفيل ريغت] يتصرّف, [دروجسم] لن ينهي مع حشيش قنونة. نحن قد احتدّنا جيل كاملة من حالة كره وضرر. أنت تتلقّى شرطيات الذي بعد يقول "لا يصدر نحن في قنّب هنديّ طبيّة, نحن لا يهتمّ [هوو مني] الناس يقترعون ل هو, كيف أنت تغيّر القانون; نحن نذهب أن يتمّ ماذا نحن نصدق داخل," ويذهب يغيّر أنّ أن يأخذ الى حدّ بعيد [لونغ تيم].

[ده]: هكذا ماذا يكون يدفع التغير? يكون هو أنّ الدول يحتاج إيراد, هناك يكون يذهب أن يكون قليل من شرطيات, أقلّ الناس في سجن, الناس يريد أن يضع تجعيد في كارتلاتهم مكسيكيّة أيّ يستفيد من إناء يكون غير شرعيّ في الدول?

[رل]: [دكريمينليزد] مكسيك فقط إناء -- أنت سمعت حول أنّ?

[ده]: رفض, حقّا.

[رل]: [يب]. وقع الرئيس جديدة هو, و [فيسنت] ثعلب ([قوسدا]), الرئيس سابقة, فقط ذهب على الأوساط يقول هو وقت أن ينظر في وناقشت يشرّع. هو الواحدة أنّ يضع ال [أريجنل بيلّ] أن يشرّع [سملّ موونت] اثنان سنون [أغو]; ويتذكّر أنت النار عاصفة أنّ حدث مع بوش. قال هم كلّ يقفز نزولا إلى هم حلوق وهو, "[أه]! أنّ [كرزينسّ]! دعا [وهو] في أيّ وقت ل هذا?!?! "هذا وقت, ذهب الفاتورة جديدة فقط بشكل صحيح كلّيّا; ما من [موسّ], ما من هرج و مرج -- لا أحد قال كلمة و [نوبود'س] يناقش هو.

[ده]: كيف الكارتلات مكسيكيّة يعملون في الولايات المتّحدة الأمريكيّة? هم ينموون إناء هنا?

[رل]: أنا أفكّر كارتل أوساط كلمة أن يجعل هو صوة مريعة -- كارتل افترضت أن يكون تنظيم [مونوبوليستيك] أنّ يضبط السوق إجماليّة من شيء; مثل منظّمة البلدان المصدّرة للنفط, أن يضبط السعر الزيت ب يقطع إنتاج, يحصل كلّه' أعضاء أن يقلّد الدفق الزيت. هناك لاشيء مثل أنّ مع هذا عمل. هناك [توو مني] منتجات, [توو مني] شركات مختلفة, هكذا هناك ما من كارتل, أولى من كلّ. الآن -- هناك يمكن كنت عمل الناس أو حشيش منتجات (ماذا يدعوهم أنت) الذي يكون مكسيكيّة محتشمة هنا ينمو -- أنّ ماذا نحن قد رأينا في السابقة زوج سنون, الكبيرة مزرعة مزارعات [إينستد وف] [هيبّي] مع زوج مئة معامل; أنت [هف جت] شدادات مع آلاف… [تن] الآلاف.

[ده]: غير أنّ يكون أنّ في الأغلب على هم خاصّة أرض?

[رل]: ما من… رفض -- أنّ جزء من النقطة. من المحتمل واحدة من الأسباب هم يكون يتمّون هو هنا أنّ بعد 9/11, أمن قد حصل حافات [ا ليتّل بيت] متينة, وهكذا إن هم ينموون هو هنا, هم لا يضطرّ أقلقت حول تهريب هو عرضا. هو سابقا هنا.

[ده]: واحدة سؤال أنا لا أرى يتناقش [فري موش], يكون الفرق بين قنونة و [دكريمينليزأيشن].

[رل]: "يتمّ [دكريم]" لا حقّا أيّ شيء. نحن قد تلقّينا [دكريم] في ماذا, اثنا عشر دول? ... بما في ذلك كاليفورنيا منذ ال 1970, أيّ يجعل مثل مئة دولار غرامة ل تحت أونصة وهو ليس اغتياظ [أرّستبل], مثل [بركينغ تيكت] أو يسرع تذكرة -- أنّ ماذا [دكريم] يكون. هو يتمّ شيء لالالناس أنّ يكون لا يحصل يوقف. هو شيء جيّدة ل هم. غير أنّ لا يتمّ هو أيّ شيء أن يعالج مع ال [بلك-مركت] جريمة لأنّ هو لا يخاطب عمليّة بيع, زراعة… أيّ شيء. [أس ا متّر وف فكت], كحول كان حظر "[دكريم]". أنت عرفت أنّ? كحول كان فقط غير شرعيّ أن يكون جعلت أو نقلت أو بعت -- أنت استطاع ملكت كلّ أنت أردت على مستوى شخصيّة… هكذا يرى علبتك [ألّ وف ث] جريمة وعنف -- [تومّي] أتى [غن-ل] [كبون], أنّ مع أنّ "[دكريم]". أنّ لما أيّ شخص الذي يكون جدّيّة حول عقار إصلاح حقّا يكره [دكريم], لأنّ أنت يستطيع رأيت كيف هو استطاع كنت استعملت ضدّ مصلحات -- عندما يقول هم, "جيّدا, نحن [دكريمّد] وبعد ذلك هناك كان بعد كلّ من هذا عنف -- رأيت? "لا يتمّ هو أيّ الخير.

[ده]: أنت يقلق أنّ مع قنونة أنّ يذهب المؤسسات أن يأتي داخل وسيطرت السوق مع مبلغات ضخمة من تسويق دولارات?

[رل]: هو سيكون صحيحة مثل ال [وين يندوستري]. You may have some Ernst & Julio Gallo that’s out there in supermarkets for the lower ... you know -- like Mad Dog 20/20 and Boon’s Farm ... the low quality stuff. And then I think a lot of it would be like the wine industry with little boutique wineries and people liking very specific tastes and flavors. My big thing is to get the people out of the prisons and to stop the injustice. All of the rest of the shit is just whiny stuff.

DH: What about the urban legend of cigarette companies patenting the names of legendary pot strains. Is that true?

RL: I don’t know. I don’t care, If they all get on our side to legalize pot that would be more power to em’. That’d be great to have them on our side instead of fighting against us. Lobbies that are against us are the alcohol and pharmaceuticals because we’re in competition. Like I said; I see it as a war between drugs: it’s the alcohol axis powers vs. the cannabis-hemp allied forces.

DH: What about jobs? Everybody talks about green jobs. Isn’t this a way to have green jobs?

RL: Definitely ... and there are a lot of jobs that are already there, but they are not above ground. There are no income taxes being paid, no workman’s comp insurance, no unemployment insurance. The big deal is to get these businesses that are currently cash, underground businesses, above ground. People don’t have the social safety net that they would if they were in a regular job. That’s what we (Oaksterdam Univ. etc. ) do, by the way. We have health insurance; we have 43 employees now who have health and dental. We pay about $300,000 in sales tax every year and about a half a million on all our payroll income taxes combined.

DH: Is anybody making the green jobs argument?

RL: Nah ... It’s been a big breakthrough just to get people to talk about pot and Oaksterdam. The media has changed just lately to take the issue seriously, and the economic benefits seriously -- that’s been the first thing. I’m just trying to get the direct sales tax numbers out there. But the other thing is the other indirect taxes and businesses that will be legitimized and spring up from the cannabis business. When I go to Amsterdam, I spend more on hotels, airfare, food and taxis than I do on cannabis and seeds. When people go to the Blue Sky Coffee Shop and they get smoothies, or whatever -- that’s the kind of business that can be created for tourism. California can be first before the rest of the country, much like Las Vegas and Atlantic City preceded the Lotteries and River Boat Gambling. I see that as a big thing. It’s going to be a big tourism draw and you got all those ancillary or indirect taxes in business that will be created from it -- and the suppliers. For example: Say you go to grow some -- you’re getting paid in cash for your cannabis; then you’re going to pay your suppliers in cash; but if you’re getting paid with a check -- then you’re going to pay them a check and they are all going to pay their taxes. We’re all legit. It’s all business. We estimate it’s like a ten to one ratio of revenue for other spending. If you look at other economic models that show how much gambling promotes other Las Vegas business; it’s like a ten to one ratio.

DH: And you see tourists coming to Oakland now because of Oaksterdam?

RL: Well, we’ve been doing this for a long time here. Oaksterdam’s staff has been going strong for about 13 years since Jeff Jones first opened. We’ve been drawing in over a thousand people a day for years. So it’s really nothing new. In fact, Oaksterdam was even bigger back in the early 2000’s. From about 2001 to 2004 there was about ten cannabis outlets in the area and then when the city issued permits in 2004, they only issued permits to four and they put in an anti-cluster clause, which caused everybody but us to move out of the area. So it used to be even bigger than it was. We used to be bringing in three or four thousand for a couple of years. We’ve already done it; tested it out -- it all works. Now we just have to redo it under adult legalization instead of medical so it’s more above ground and honest.

DH: Was that move by the City of Oakland, in the end, a good thing?

RL: It was a political compromise. You’ve got to remember that back in 2003, when they first started working on ordinance Z the federal government was a lot bigger of a dark cloud hanging over everything, people were being busted by the FEDS. So to have the City Council, the Police Chief and the Mayor all sign our permits, and become our co-conspirators, it was a big boost forward, as far as the long term goes. There was a compromise. There were negative things to it, like they didn’t allow on-site consumption, which would be a very good thing for isolated patients who don’t have a lot of friends or places to get out, they don’t get a lot of chances to talk to other people with similar conditions as theirs; and that’s a really good thing for medical patients to be able to socialize. And the other thing that was a compromise was the strict zoning, the anti-cluster clause -- there were a lot of things we didn’t like; but there was one big thing that we did like, which was that they gave us the first permits in the Country for cannabis outlets. They set up a whole system -- treated us like a business. We’re not non-profit. It allows a reasonable profit is what the Oakland permit ordinance says, so Oakland is ahead of the state as well as the Country.

DH: Is Oakland the most progressive city in the country, as far as marijuana?

RL: Yep. I think so. I think because of people like Jeff Jones and myself, who have been here for 13 years working hard on this, and people like Nate Miley, Council Member, who is now the County Supervisor, but back then he was City Council. He really took the lead on those early days in the mid 90’s, passing resolutions in favor of medical marijuana for arthritis, things like that.

DH: There seems to be a lot of momentum toward legalization going on ... But what about the larger consciousness and attitudes? Because back in the 70s, we all thought drug repression was over and then, well we know what happened.

RL: No -- actually, if you look back at the poll numbers back then, they weren’t that high for legalization; the consumption rate was the highest in 1979, than it ever has been. That was the peak of the popularity of cannabis, I would say. But if you look at the voting public, it was never that high. Now is the first time we’ve ever had a majority -- just saw a 56% number that was in the polls for California, and one with 52% by Zogby for nation–wide which really needs to be confirmed by other polls, but that’s the first time we’ve ever seen that on a National poll.

DH: Let’s talk a little bit about your vision for Oaksterdam.

RL: It dovetails with the entertainment district. We’ve got beautiful Lake Merritt nearby with the paddleboats and sailboats. The old rowing house is being converted into a new restaurant ... so yeah -- it’s entertainment. Its jobs, and taxes, and tourism. And it is important to bring in other things like the glass blowing, art, artists; things like that. Just as Vegas now has Cirque du Soleil or the other entertainment that people go to; they don’t just go there for gambling anymore. That’s how Oakland needs to use the cannabis as part of the overall tourism mix and need to bring in other activities because eventually it is going to be legal everywhere and then it isn’t going to be as big of a tourism draw as it will be for the next five or ten years.

DH: The University -- how does it fit in? What are you teaching people?

RL: The motto is quality trading for the cannabis industry, and we’re teaching people how to do it right. What we see is a lot of people who want to help get it legal, or want to get a job, or start a cannabis dispensary, but they don’t know how to do it. And when they do it wrong, they make the industry look bad. We are trying to encourage more good actors and less bad by training them on the politics, legal issues ... that’s a big part of our curriculum. We really encourage people to be involved in the politics. And there are general classes we teach on the actual nut-bolts of the business or the horticulture: growing cannabis, cooking, hash making, bud tending, management, starting a business, incorporating.….you can go to our website too in order to look up all the classes.

DH: I always ask this kind of question at the end of an interview: You’ve gotten some really good media; phenomenal media. Is there something that no one ever asks you? Something that you’d want to get out? A message? A piece of information?

RL: Yeah. How about the conflict of interest that the media has advertising booze. Think about it -- If Coca Cola was legal and advertised on TV, and Pepsi was illegal, do you think the media might talk bad about Pepsi and talk good about Coke? If they were buttering that side of the bread.. I’m pressing here (ha ha) …I can come up with a better analogy.

But yeah, because I’m a pr/advertising major; that’s my history and my background, so that’s the thing I’ve always seen.

It’s like you watch TV and you see a beer commercial, then you see a Partnership for Drug Free anti-cannabis commercial, and you’re like, “What gives with this? And that’s the thing: it’s tough for the media to cover the media, right? Unless you’re John Stewart making fun of the cable news.

DH: One last question about the Obama policy and the Attorney General. There still seems to be evidence of the FEDS coming in and busting some targeted clubs. Is that still happening?

RL: Well, they raided one in San Francisco and stole all of their plants, but they didn’t arrest anybody, and they haven’t really been arresting anybody in a while. Generally they seem to be resigned to just going in and stealing a bunch of stuff and harassing people by being as mean as they can without actually prosecuting. But it’s really sad for the people who are still being prosecuted that were busted back during the Bush days. You know about the Lynch case -- where he is getting a year in jail for following the law. The other heavy case is Scarmazzo & Montes, who got 20 years under the RICO -- continuing criminal enterprise. I think legalization is the only way to get those guys out. The US Attorney said we’re not going to revisit. Obama is only going to do it if we federally legalize.

DH: Those guys made a fortune and spent it on fancy cars and stuff -- that was part of the problem in making millions of bucks.

RL: Yeah, exactly. They spent it on toys instead of putting it back into politics.

And they put a video on the Internet which had them singing, “Fuck the DEA”, and showing them with a bunch of cash. They did everything wrong. Don’t get me wrong -- but I would still say they only deserve a year or two in jail; not 20 years. Maybe a couple of months to teach them a lesson. Take away their money; fine them, you know? Whatever. But 20 years? C’mon people … CCI is the worst you can get -- a mandatory sentence. it’s like the mafia statute; and they’re (Scarmazzo & Montes) the only ones to have gotten hit with that.



Don Hazen is the executive editor of AlterNet.

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